Friday, September 29, 2023, By Jessica Hernández, Real estate advisor and marketing analyst in SILMÉXICO
In a previous post, we talked about soil classification and how important it is to identify them when planning a construction project. To do this, it is necessary to carry out a soil analysis, which will be discussed below.
Soil analyses allow us to know the chemical, physical, and mechanical characteristics of the land where the work will be carried out, the layers or strata that make up the soil as well as its depth.
The study of soils or soil mechanics is made up of 3 stages:
1. Exploration and land testing
In this first stage, a reconnaissance of the site is carried out, strategic points are explored and soil samples are taken, which will be analyzed later in a second stage in the laboratory. These samples are taken through various techniques and tools such as:
- Calicata: to make excavations of small or medium depth in chosen points of the ground. This seeks to have a direct view of the terrain that is generally not seen, for its characterization and analysis.
- Penetrometer: consists of the penetration of the soil with the introduction of this tool into the ground, which generally has a conical shape.
Probes: Through these, the ground is drilled with a cylindrical probe that extracts the soil trapped inside the cylinder. As the samples are taken, they are placed in order of depth in boxes, to determine the type of soil at different depths.
2. Laboratory work
In this second stage, all the samples taken in stage 1 are taken to the laboratory for analysis. Laboratory tests will allow us to know issues such as humidity level, consistency limits, pressures, and sky components, among others.
3. Preparation of final report
The last stage consists of writing the final report of the study carried out, in which all the observations, results of the samples, and the characteristics of the land are detailed, whether it is suitable or not to carry out the construction project, it is delimited the amount of weight the soil can support, and recommendations on materials and construction are also issued.
Have you ever wondered why the Tower of Pisa is tilted? This was not precisely the design or the intention for this historical and tourist monument, the reason for its inclination is that at the beginning, the work was vertical, but over time it was inclined because it is located on unstable ground and does not have foundations to support the weight of its 56 meters high. That is why the study of soil mechanics is important, it allows the land to be prepared according to the structure that is intended to be built, which will determine whether or not it can deal with the passage of years, possible telluric movements, etc. Correctly carrying out this study can save lives, as well as preserve large and important buildings.
Interested in a soil study for your new project? At SILMÉXICO we have an expert construction team, in charge of carrying out all the relevant work prior to the start of a project. Come to us and get to know about all our services.
