What Does
Compressive Strength Mean?
Compressive strength can be defined as the ability of the soil or rock to resist forces imposed on it or the maximum stress that a sample can withstand under specified loading conditions.
Trenchless installation projects are carried out in differing soil or ground conditions such as soft soil, medium to hard rock and very hard rock. It is important to analyze the compressive strength of soil prior to undertaking a trenchless operation in order to select the right drill bit and rig required to carry out the project.
Trenchlesspedia Explains Compressive Strength
Soft ground can be classified into loose soil, clay or limestone, medium rock includes hard shale and dolomite and hard rock includes rocks formations such as granite. Some projects may encounter ground conditions with differing soil and rock strata requiring selection of appropriate drill bits as the drilling proceeds.
Soils with compressive strength less than 10000 psi are classified as soft ground, soils with compressive strength in the range of 10000 to 30000 psi are classified as medium ground, and those with compressive strength greater than 30000 psi are classified as hard ground.
Contract officers and project managers rely on geotechnical engineers to conduct geotechnical investigations in order to determine the strata's composition. Using the wrong drill bit or rod can result in damage to the equipment and injury to the operating crew.