1 Scope

This British Standard gives recommendations for the investigation of sites for the purposes of assessing their suitability for the construction of civil engineering and building works and of acquiring knowledge of the characteristics of a site that could affect the design and construction of such work and the security of neighbouring land and property.

NOTE The use of soil and rock as construction materials is treated only briefly; further information is given in BS 6031.

This British Standard provides guidance on the application of BS EN 1997-1 and BS EN 1997-2 and the related test standards cited therein.

It does not provide guidance on investigations for contamination or naturally elevated concentrations of potentially hazardous substances (these are dealt with in BS 10175). Nor does it provide guidance on investigations for ground gas (these are dealt with in BS 8576). However, it does provide guidance on the integration of geotechnical investigations with investigations for contamination or ground gas and other types of investigations (e.g. archaeological).

2 Normative references

The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

Standards publications

BS 1377-1:1990, Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purposes — Part 1: General requirements and sample preparation

BS 1377-2:1990, Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purposes — Part 2: Classification tests

BS 1377-3:1990, Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purposes — Part 3: Chemical and electro-chemical tests

BS 1377-4:1990, Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purposes — Part 4: Compaction-related tests

BS 1377-5:1990, Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purposes — Part 5: Compressibility, permeability and durability tests

BS 1377-6:1990, Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purposes — Part 6: Consolidation and permeability tests in hydraulic cells and with pore pressure measurement

BS 1377-7:1990, Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purposes — Part 7: Shear strength tests (total stress)

BS 1377-8:1990, Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purposes — Part 8: Shear strength tests (effective stress)

BS 1377-9:1990, Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purposes — Part 9: In-situ tests

BS 8550, Guide for the auditing of water quality sampling

BS 8574, Code of practice for the management of geotechnical data for ground engineering projects

BS 8576:2013, Guidance on investigations for ground gas — Permanent gases and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

BS 10175:2011+A1:2013, Investigation of potentially contaminated sites — Code of practice

BS 22475-3:2011, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Sampling methods and groundwater measurements — Part 3: Conformity assessment of enterprises and personnel by third party

BS EN 1997-1:2004+A1:2013, Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design — Part 1: General rules

BS EN 1997-2:2007, Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design — Part 2: Ground investigation and testing

BS EN ISO 5667-1, Water quality — Sampling — Guidance on the design of sampling programmes and sampling techniques

BS EN ISO 5667-3, Water quality — Sampling — Preservation and handling of water samples

BS EN ISO 10545-8, Ceramic tiles — Determination of linear thermal expansion.

BS EN ISO 14688-1:2002, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Identification and classification of soil — Part 1: Identification and description

BS EN ISO 14688-2:2004, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Identification and classification of soil — Part 2: Principles for a classification

BS EN ISO 14689-1:2003, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Identification and classification of rock — Part 1: Identification and description

BS EN ISO 17892-1, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Laboratory testing of soil — Determination of water content

BS EN ISO 17892-2, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Laboratory testing of soil — Determination of bulk density

BS EN ISO 18674, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Geotechnical monitoring by field instrumentation — General rules

BS EN ISO 22282-1, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Geohydraulic testing — Part 1: General rules

BS EN ISO 22282-2, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Geohydraulic testing — Part 2: Water permeability tests in a borehole using open systems

BS EN ISO 22282-3, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Geohydraulic testing — Part 3: Water pressure tests in rock

BS EN ISO 22282-4, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Geohydraulic testing — Part 4: Pumping tests

BS EN ISO 22282-5, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Geohydraulic testing — Part 5: Infiltrometer tests

BS EN ISO 22282-6, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Geohydraulic testing — Part 6: Water permeability tests in a borehole using closed systems

BS EN ISO 22475-1:2006, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Sampling methods and groundwater measurements — Part 1: Technical principles for execution

BS EN ISO 22476-1, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Field testing — Part 1: Electrical cone and piezocone penetration test

BS EN ISO 22476-2, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Field testing — Part 2: Dynamic probing

BS EN ISO 22476-3, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Field testing — Part 3: Standard penetration test

BS EN ISO 22476-4, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Field testing — Part 4: Ménard pressuremeter test

BS EN ISO 22476-5, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Field testing — Part 5: Flexible dilatometer test

BS EN ISO 22476-6, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Field testing — Part 6: Self boring pressuremeter test¹⁾

BS EN ISO 22476-7, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Field testing — Part 7: Borehole jack test

BS EN ISO 22476-8, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Field testing — Part 8: Full displacement pressuremeter test²⁾

BS EN ISO 22476-9, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Field testing — Part 9: Field vane test³⁾

BS EN ISO 22476-12, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Field testing — Part 12: Mechanical cone penetration test (CPTM)

BS ISO 5667-11, Water quality — Sampling — Guidance on sampling of groundwaters

BS ISO 5667-22, Water quality — Sampling — Guidance on the design and installation of groundwater monitoring points

ISO/TS 22476-11, Geotechnical investigation and testing — Field testing — Part 11: Flat dilatometer test

NA to BS EN 1997-2:2007, UK National Annex to Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design — Part 2: Ground investigation and testing

PAS 128, Specification for underground utility detection, verification and location

Other publications

[N1] BUILDING RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT. Concrete in aggressive ground, BRE Special Digest 1. Watford: BRE, 2005.

[N2] INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR ROCK MECHANICS. Commission on standardisation of laboratory and field tests. Suggested methods for rock stress determination. In: Int. Jour. Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomech. Abstract. 1987, 24(1), 53-73.

[N3] BUILDING RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT. Soakaway design. BRE Digest 365. Watford: BRE, 1991.