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In Situ Soil Testing 101: The Different Types of Tests

January 19, 2021 by Vertek Team

Exploring adding in situ soil testing to your geotechnical operations? Already doing in situ and want to find the right tools for the job? Vertek has you covered.

In this post, we will take a deep dive into a few different types of soil tests that can be performed in situ. First, let’s start with “why do you conduct in situ soil testing?”

In situ soil testing is essential for gaining soil property information, measuring groundwater pressure, gathering moisture content data, and other essential data points, all in which can be safety-critical in many different instances.

In situ soil testing can be accomplished in a variety of different ways. Every soil test has its place and benefit; however, the most accurate and thorough in situ soil testing for determining a wide variety of technical attributes is Cone Penetration Testing (CPT).

Just like everything else, determining what is best for your business requires understanding the pros and cons of every possible solution, in this case, an in situ soil testing solution.

Options for in situ soil testing procedures

Here is a closer look at a few different options for performing an in- situ soil test:

Standard Penetration Testing (SPT) and in situ soil testing:

This option is dynamic, low in cost, and has been widely recognized as a simplified solution that provides useful information.

While it’s reasonably consistent with its fine-grained sands results, it’s not as consistent with coarse sands or clays, which can be difficult for gathering accurate data and analysis of soil conditions.

For even more on Standard Penetration Testing, visit one of our previous posts that takes a closer look at SPT for your business.



CPT platforms designed for Cone Penetration Testing.

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Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP):

With a DCP test, the cone is driven by a standard amount of force from a hammer, and how far the cone moves with each blow is used to determine the soil density and properties at that level. It will record the number of mm per hit and gather an estimate of different soil properties.

Since DCP is essentially hand-powered, it is cheaper and more portable than CPT equipment, but the possibility of human error makes it trickier to obtain consistent and accurate data.

Historically, one of the largest difficulties associated with DCP has been obtaining accurate depth difference measurements with a hand rule after each blow of the hammer.

Fortunately, handheld electronics technology has alleviated these issues to a great extent. Vertek’s Handheld DCP System uses a smartphone app and a laser rangefinder to automatically count blows and measure, record, and plot depth. From the smartphone, this data can be easily graphed in the field and transferred to a computer or client for reporting and analysis.

To further increase the repeatability and efficiency of DCP testing, Vertek offers automatic DCP (ADCP) testing systems. ADCP rigs can be mounted on lightweight trailers, commercially available trucks, or ATVs.

Automated tests are both faster and more consistent than their manual counterparts, and also decrease physical labor for the operator.

Cone Penetration Testing (CPT):

Geotechnical engineers have been using Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) for over 40 years to assist in the design and construction of foundations, embankments and other structures. 

The data compiled from this testing is valuable for assessing the subsurface stratigraphy associated with soft materials, discontinuous lenses, organic materials, potentially liquified materials (such as sand, silt and granule gravel), and predicting landslides or ground settling.

This type of testing is not only accurate, but it can collect data at a fast rate and, from there, will interpret the data on the site, enabling you to gain a competitive advantage as an engineer.

Whether you purchase a Vertek CPT truck rig, SmartDCP, drilling rig CPT conversion kit, or CPT cones, you can operate reliably in the most demanding conditions. Contact us to discuss your needs and our solutions.


Have questions about Vertek’s solutions for in situ soil testing?

Click here or give us a call at 1-800-639-6315 to discuss your needs and our solutions.


Filed Under: CPT Tagged With: in situ, in-situ

Geotechnical Services: Learn How to Grow Your Business

January 18, 2021 by Vertek Team

Vertek NY DOT delivery

If you’re looking for ways to help grow your business, consider expanding your geotechnical services. By increasing the geotechnical services your company offers, you’ll be able to expand your current client base and increase your workload.

To realize these benefits, you’ll first have to decide which geotechnical services you can offer, which you could offer more in-depth, how it would affect your current workload, and how it can increase your revenue. 

What geotechnical services can your business offer?

  1. Rental and sales of CPT equipment.
  2. Field exploration (soil and rock sampling, test boring, core drilling, electro-magnetic surveying, etc.).
  3. Site evaluation (for pavement/ subgrades, alternative site and route studies, the definition of critical geotechnical parameters).
  4. Engineering analysis and design (slope stability evaluation, hillside grading recommendations, earth retaining structure design, earthquake damage analysis).
  5. Laboratory testing services (soil classification, shear strength, permeability, consolidation characteristics, resistivity).

Some of these services may be a more natural fit for your current business than others. However, it’s worth considering the environment your business is located in, as well as the environmental factors that have an affect on construction. This will help you to hone in on the services that are in demand. 

Also research any potential competition in your area to see what they do or do not offer, and consider filling any void you discover.

For example, if you notice a void in your area’s laboratory testing services, consider hiring an expert internally. Between the equipment and manpower you already hold, adding an additional employee may prove profitable.

If you’re not sure how to gauge demand in your area, consider who you could be marketing your geotechnical services to.

Potential customers include:

  • Commercial and residential real estate developers
  • Realtors
  • Architects
  • Geotechnical and civil engineering firms
  • Concrete and foundation specialists
  • Bridge builders
  • Construction companies
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing companies
  • Financial institutions
  • Federal, state and municipal organizations

With a little research and a keen eye, you may be able to spot some great opportunities to grow your business with expanded geotechnical service offerings!


We are here to help with your geotechnical needs!

Click here or give us a call at 1-800-639-6315 to discuss your needs and our solutions.


General FAQs

What is Advanced Geotechnical Methods in Exploration (A-GaME)?

Mitigate risks and improve reliability by optimizing geotechnical site characterization with proven, effective exploration methods and practices. Up to 50 percent of major infrastructure projects suffer impacts to schedule or cost due to geotechnical issues.

What are geotechnical services?

Geotechnical Aspects of Pavements. Many groups within an agency are involved with different aspects of the definition, design, and construction verification of pavement geo-materials. These groups include pavement design engineers and geotechnical engineers.

What are the geotechnical aspects of pavements?

Familiarity with geotechnical aspects of pavement engineering is essential for the practicing pavement engineer. When designing pavements, accurate characterization of the existing sub-grade condition becomes a crucial task. In the past, traditional geotechnical exploration and testing methods have been used to characterize existing sub-grade conditions.

What are geotechnical site characterizations?

Geotechnical site characterization is a systematic study conducted to collect data regarding in-situ ground conditions. With site characterization, engineers estimate the geotechnical parameters necessary for efficient and cost-effective geotechnical engineering analysis and design.

Get the Vertek Product Catalog

Work with the world leader in the development and manufacturing of advanced in-situ soil testing apparatus.

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Filed Under: CPT Tagged With: cpt applications, geotechnical

What is DCP testing and how does it compare to CPT?

January 9, 2021 by Vertek Team

Dynamic Cone Penetration (DCP) testing is used to measure the strength of in-situ soil and the thickness and location of subsurface soil layers.

Dynamic Cone Penetration

It is similar to CPT (cone penetration testing) in that a metal cone is advanced into the ground to continuously characterize soil behavior.

In DCP, however, the cone is driven by a standard amount of force from a hammer, and how far the cone moves with each blow is used to determine the soil density and properties at that level.

In DCP testing, the pushing force is applied by manually dropping a single or dual mass weight (called the hammer) from a fixed height onto the push cone unit.

dcp data

The resulting downward movement is then measured. Unlike CPT systems, basic DCP equipment is hand-portable and may be limited to test depths of 3-4 feet: this makes it a good choice for shallow testing applications such as roadbed construction and maintenance.

Since DCP is essentially hand-powered, it is cheaper and more portable than CPT equipment, but the possibility of human error makes it trickier to obtain consistent and accurate data.

Historically, one of the largest difficulties associated with DCP has been obtaining accurate depth difference measurements with a hand rule after each blow of the hammer.

As you can imagine, taking these measurements by sight and recording them by hand can be slow, finicky work.

Plus, to measure the total depth, the sum of these measurements is calculated, so it is easy to accumulate a troublesome amount of error if each measurement is even slightly off.

Fortunately, handheld electronics technology has alleviated these issues to a great extent. Vertek’s Smart DCP System uses a smartphone app and a laser rangefinder to automatically count blows and measure, record, and plot depth.

From the smartphone, this data can be easily graphed in the field and transferred to a computer or client for reporting and analysis.

Automatic data collection saves time, increases accuracy, and means that the test can be efficiently completed by one person.

vertek automated dcp testing

To further increase the repeatability and efficiency of DCP testing, Vertek offers automatic DCP (ADCP) testing systems. ADCP rigs can be mounted on lightweight trailers, commercially available trucks, or ATVs.

Automated tests are both faster and more consistent than their manual counterparts, and also decrease physical labor for the operator.

DCP and ADCP testing and data analysis is a broad subject, so we’ll return to it in another blog.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the DCP testing information and video demonstrations on our site! You can also download our catalog to see the full specifications and capabilities of Vertek’s Smart DCP and ADCP equipment.


Have questions about whether DCP is right for you?

Click here or give us a call at 1-800-639-6315 to discuss your needs and our solutions.


DCP FAQs

What is a dynamic cone penetrometer?

The Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) is used to determine underlying soil strength by measuring the device’s penetration into the soil after each hammer blow.

How does a cone penetrometer work?

A cone penetration test rig pushes steel cone into the ground, generally up to 20m below the surface or until the cone reaches a hard layer. The steel cone contains an electronic measuring system that records tip resistance and sleeve friction.

What is DCP testing?

Dynamic Cone Penetration (DCP) testing is used to measure in-situ soil’s strength and the thickness and location of subsurface soil layers. It is similar to CPT in that a metal cone is advanced into the ground to characterize soil behavior continuously.

What is DCP in the construction industry?

Dynamic Cone Penetrometer, or DCP, is a tool used for evaluating the strength of soils on site. It also helps with monitoring the condition of granular layers and subgrade soils in pavement sections over time.


Get the Vertek Product Catalog

Work with the world leader in the development and manufacturing of advanced in-situ soil testing apparatus.

Download Product Catalog

Filed Under: CPT Tagged With: DCP testing

Pavement Testing Machines ARA Pavement Test Machines to Federal Highway Administration

October 20, 2020 by Vertek Team

Applied Research Associates delivered two pavement testing machines called Accelerated Transportation Loading System (ATLaS) to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in Virginia.


Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) recently delivered two of its pavement testing machines called Accelerated Transportation Loading System (ATLaS) to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in Virginia.

ATLaS enables agencies like the FHWA to effectively evaluate, validate, and implement new construction materials, infrastructure design, construction practices, and new maintenance and rehabilitation technologies in a shorter amount of time that would otherwise take years to assess test tracks or long-term monitoring sites with live traffic.

Each ATLaS pavement test machine delivered to the FHWA is 77 feet long and weighs 75,000 pounds.

By implementing an accelerated pavement test (APT) program, an agency can save millions of taxpayer dollars by selecting the best construction materials, improving the construction specifications, and improving the infrastructure lifespan.

“The successful delivery of these two ATLaS platforms is a result of our dedicated team’s hard work, commitment to excellence, and strong relationship with our customer,” said Matthew Fordham, division manager of ARA’s Integrated Products Division. 

“Our capture team, to the design and manufacturing team, are committed to excellence. As FHWA is the epicenter for accelerated pavement test systems, we are proud to work with their team, supporting efforts to build a better transportation future.”



ATLaS devices provide a unique full-scale state-of-the-art APT tool to generate applied infrastructure research that benefits an agency in a very short time. The ATLaS can operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year to induce truck, airplane, or railroad loading to highways, bridges, and railroad systems.

ARA is the sole developer and manufacturer of the ATLaS, which is available in several models. Since ARA’s first ATLaS delivery in 1997 to Ohio University, ARA has delivered ten accelerated pavement testers to research institutes across North America and China. 

Our 63,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Randolph, VT, is home to experienced engineers, designers, and technicians with decades of experience in geotechnical fields.

All of our APT platforms are custom built to accommodate traffic-induced load capacities, budget constraints, and site restrictions. 

ARA follows a rigorous standardized system engineering approach with a robust data-driven quality program. Other solutions include asphalt testing equipment, asphalt compaction testing equipment, and asphalt density testing equipment.

ARA also offers on-site, hands-on training covering all aspects of user operation, safety, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of the system. For more information on ATLaS, visit go here.


pavement testing equipment
Vertek

General FAQs

How many loaded passes is the FHWA ATLaS system capable of producing?

The ATLaS can produce 15,000 and 7,500 loaded passes at 7.5 MPH 24 hours in either bilateral and un-directional modes, respectively. 


What is the range of applied loads that FHWA’s ATLaS can apply to their test areas? 

The ATLaS delivered to FHWA can produce a range of loads between 9,000 and 22,500 pounds to the testing surface. The system can vary the loads over an experiment with our programable test matrix user interface.


What are the test for pavement or asphalt?

To ensure the quality of bitumen, several tests are performed, which are as follows.
– Ductility test.
– Flash and Fire point test.
– Float test.
– Loss on the heating test.
– Penetration test.
– Softening point test.
– Specific gravity test.
– Viscosity test.


What is the Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT)?

Accelerated pavement testing (APT) relates to the controlled application of a prototype wheel loading, at or above the appropriate legal load limit to a prototype or actual, layered, structural pavement system to determine pavement response and performance under a controlled, accelerated accumulation of damage in a compressed period.




CPT platforms designed for Cone Penetration Testing.

Vertek CPT has one goal. To make your business a success.

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Filed Under: CPT

How to Interpret Soil Test Results from CPT Testing

September 9, 2020 by Vertek Team

Even if you already have a solid grasp of what Cone Penetration Testing is and how CPT rigs test soils, understanding soil test results is a bigger task.

You likely already know that CPT rigs are equipped with automated interpretation programs, but that doesn’t mean test results are easily readable right away.

Fortunately, even if you aren’t a technician, it is possible to gain some understanding of soil test results. Read on to find out how. 

The basics of soil test results

At the most basic level, the results of CPT testing are based on the relationship between cone-bearing, sleeve friction, and pore water pressure.

With these three measurements, you can learn quite a bit about soil composition and conditions. For example, the friction ratio measured by the sleeve is used to determine the soil type. Soil is then classified according to the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS).

CPT can also measure:

  • Soil parameters
  • Computer calculations of interpreted soil behavior types (SBT)
  • Additional geotechnical parameters

It’s also possible to determine temperature shifts and zero loads offset through the use of baseline readings. This essentially means comparing test results to those generated from initial testing before work begins on a site.

With careful observation, it’s possible to determine even more about the soil tested.

Some examples include noting trends in water content to determine the type of soil (ie, sand does not retain water as well as clay) and knowing that larger values of cone resistance and sleeve friction usually indicate coarser soils, while lower values tend to indicate fine-grained soils.

Although they won’t put you on the level of a trained technician, these basics should make soil test results much easier to understand. More importantly, with this information in mind, you should have a much greater understanding of CPT testing as a whole.

Filed Under: CPT

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