An apparatus for measuring a soil condition includes a plurality of elongate beams mounted on opposing sides of a shank and arranged at different heights along the shank, and a plurality of load cells. Each load cell of the plurality is coupled to the shank and to a beam of the plurality such that a horizontal force on the beam induces the load cell to generate a signal corresponding to a force on the beam. A method includes dragging at least a portion of a shank through soil, inducing a force on each of a plurality of load cells related to horizontal forces on the plurality of beams, and generating signals with the load cells. The method may be used to measure soil compaction and/or identify a compaction layer.

A borehole inspection device and method of using the same to measure the condition of the bottom extent of a borehole, the system having a head unit assembly with top and bottom sides and including at least one downwardly extending force sensor configured to measure a reaction force applied to the at least one sensor as it engages a bottom extent of the borehole, the inspection device being configured to be lowered into a borehole and to bring the sensor(s) into contact with the bottom extent wherein continued downward movement of the head unit creates the reaction force on the sensor(s) to determine at least one of a location of an associated debris layer, a bearing capacity of the associated debris layer, the thickness of the associated debris layer, the location of an associated bearing layer and/or the bearing capacity of the associated bearing layer.

A borehole inspection device and method of using the same to measure the condition of the bottom extent of a borehole, the system having a head unit assembly with top and bottom sides and including at least one downwardly extending force sensor configured to measure a reaction force applied to the at least one sensor as it engages a bottom extent of the borehole, the inspection device being configured to be lowered into a borehole and to bring the sensor(s) into contact with the bottom extent wherein continued downward movement of the head unit creates the reaction force on the sensor(s) to determine at least one of a location of an associated debris layer, a bearing capacity of the associated debris layer, the thickness of the associated debris layer, the location of an associated bearing layer and/or the bearing capacity of the associated bearing layer.

The present invention provides a lateral and continuous measurement method for soil parameters in a soft soil field. The method mainly comprises the following measurement steps: arranging soil strength measuring apparatuses at the front end of a towing apparatus; arranging soil strain softening relationship measuring apparatuses at the bottom end of the towing apparatus; and measuring interface friction parameters between the soil and a structure. The towing apparatus actively or passively moves in a soft soil layer to ensure that the towing apparatus partially penetrates into the to-be-measured soil layer during movement; and the penetration depth of the towing apparatus is controlled by adjusting counterweight above the towing apparatus and a towing angle.

A method, system and computer program product for determining soil properties comprising a probe including at least a liquid injection port and a pressure transducer. The probe is pushed into a soil and one or more pumping tests are carried out, wherein during a pumping test infiltration liquid is pumped through the liquid injection port of the probe. By means of the pressure transducer a pressure response in the soil resulting from the injection of liquid through the liquid injection port is measured for each of the one or more pumping tests.

A unitary tool that combines a ground rod to a self-hammering mechanism in a trapped configuration. The ground rod has a length ranging between forty-two and fifty-two inches for facilitating the self-hammering functionality. The ground rod is made from copper-bonded steel for more effectively grounding an electrical connection than the prior art.

A system and method for environmental sampling and analysis system are described. The system and method provide for concurrent collection and sampling of subsurface materials and sensing of one or more subsurface environmental conditions. In particular, the system and method provide for high resolution environmental site characterization.

A soil extraction and measurement tool is described. In one example, the tool has a guide having a sleeve and a plate. The sleeve is attached to the plate, extending substantially horizontally from the plate, and having an opening to receive a probe. A probe has a point at an end configured to be inserted into the sleeve of the guide and to extend through the sleeve past the plate. The point is configured to pierce through soil below the plate. The probe has an inner cavity that is open at the point and configured to receive soil when the point pierces through soil, and a window through the probe to the inner cavity configured to allow the soil in the inner cavity to be viewed through the probe.

The vertical counterforce loading device includes a concrete support member, four transfer components, four connection components, a vertical force transmission component and a load test soil layer. The concrete support member is formed by pouring and concreting below the load test soil layer. The four transfer components are divided into two groups to be symmetrically and parallelly anchored in the concrete support member. The vertical force transmission component includes a load plate, a jack, a primary beam and a secondary beam arranged in sequence from bottom to top. The load plate is installed on the load test soil layer. The number of the secondary beams is two, and the two secondary beams are connected crosswise to both ends of the primary beam. The end portions of the two secondary beams are respectively connected to second ends of the four connection components through reinforcement components.

Embodiments describe a method for moisturizing soil at an open construction site. The method includes determining a target soil moisture level for the soil at the open construction site; measuring a current soil moisture level of a location within the open construction site with a moisture sensor while the moisture control system is moving along a predetermined path across the site; storing the current soil moisture level of the location in memory; determining a target volume of water for achieving the target soil moisture level at the location based on the current soil moisture level at the location; calculating a target application rate to achieve the target soil moisture level at the location based on the target volume of water; and applying the target volume of water at the target application rate to the location when the system is positioned to dispense water at the location of the site.