06 / TESTING CATEGORY

Field testing of soils and bases

MATTEST controls the quality of soils, embankments and bases directly on construction sites. We determine the actual density and compaction ratio, investigate the deformation properties of bases, perform trial compaction and help sign off the prepared layer before the next stage of works.

FULL LIST OF TESTS

What MATTEST performs in the field

01
Determination of soil compaction ratio
Cutting ring, volume replacement, paraffin coating, dynamic density gauge, standard Proctor compaction.
02
Plate load tests of soils and bases
Circular plates 300–600 mm. Deformation modulus, Ev1, Ev2. Excavations, tanks, roads.
03
Trial compaction
Control section for determining the compaction technology and the required number of roller passes.
04
Process control
A roller pass or a loaded truck pass for a rapid on-site assessment of the layer condition.

Where the tests are performed

excavations for buildings and structures
backfills
trenches
soil cushions
road subgrades
bases for industrial structures and tanks
sand, soil and crushed-stone layers
bases of crushed-stone-sand mix and other coarse-grained materials

Determination of the compaction ratio

The actual dry density of the soil is compared with the maximum density of the same material determined in the laboratory at the optimum moisture content.

Depending on the material, the following methods are used:

cutting ring method
volume replacement method
paraffin coating
rapid control with a dynamic density gauge
laboratory standard Proctor compaction

Plate load tests of soils and bases

The tests make it possible to determine the deformation characteristics of the base under load.

The method is applied:

in excavations
under the foundations of buildings
under tanks and heavy structures
on road subgrades
on crushed-stone road bases

For roads, a 300 mm diameter circular plate is used. For excavations and industrial bases, plates from 300 to 600 mm in diameter are used depending on the task and the method.

Trial compaction

A control section is prepared on site to determine the rational compaction technology and the number of roller passes required to achieve the design result.

Process control

A pass of a roller or a loaded truck may be used for a rapid qualitative assessment of the layer condition. Such control helps to quickly identify weak areas but does not replace quantitative laboratory determination of density and compaction ratio.

How the method is selected

A single device is not suitable for all materials:

cohesive fine-grained soil is conveniently controlled with a cutting ring
for crushed-stone-sand mix and soil with coarse inclusions, volume replacement is used
a dynamic density gauge allows a large number of points to be surveyed quickly
the plate is used when the behaviour of the base under load has to be determined

The method is selected based on the project, the material composition, the size of the inclusions and the required parameter.

Deliverables for the client

Depending on the task:

compaction ratio test report
actual density and moisture results
standard Proctor compaction curve
"load – settlement" curves
deformation modulus values or Ev1/Ev2
trial compaction certificate
technical report on the comprehensive control programme

Applicable standards

GOST 5180-2015
GOST 22733-2016
GOST 20276.1-2020
O‘z DSt 787-97 or the applicable Uzbek volume replacement method
DIN 18134 — only for the determination of Ev1/Ev2 when it is required by the project; it is not presented as an Uzbek national standard