A penetration testing apparatus for testing the bearing strength of ground, soil layers, base-courses, subbases and subgrades without the need for much manual operation, includes the following components operatively connected together, comprising a frame support (5) which supports an actuating apparatus (7), power supply apparatus (9), movable carriage assembly (13), ground penetrating member (15), carriage drive mechanism 17 and ground stabilizing means (18), operatively connected together to carry out a ground test. The movable carriage assembly (13) movably supports one ground penetrating member (15). The movable carriage assembly (13) is movably supported by the frame support (5) such that power from the actuating apparatus (7) slidably and mechanically moves the carriage assembly (13) up and down with the ground penetrating member (15), on a portion of the frame support (5), to cause the ground penetrating member (15) to contact or penetrate the ground when the carriage assembly (13) moves down and be slidably moved back up the portion of the frame support (5) to repeat the sliding down movement again.

A soil sample collection machine has a mobile support frame that is transportable across the soil surface of an agricultural field. A surface scraper assembly is mounted to the mobile support frame and includes a scraper and a driver that is adapted to lower the scraper onto the surface of the soil and move the scraper across the soil surface for removing surface debris before a sample collection probe is driven into the soil at the scraped location and removes a soil sample. A soil sampling probe assembly is also mounted to the mobile support frame and includes a sample collection probe and a driver that is adapted to move the sample collection probe along a downward path into the soil to collect a sample of soil at the place the surface was scraped, to retract the probe upward and then to eject the soil sample from the probe into a container on an endless conveyer of containers.

Provided are a testing instrument and method for checking the degree of saturation of a pressure sensor unit of a piezocone.

A method of designing an underground excavation may involve the steps of: Developing a plurality of input parameters for the underground excavation; performing a first design iteration to determine an initial ground support system design; evaluating a kinematic stability of the initial ground support system design; determining whether the kinematic stability meets a predetermined factor of safety; and reiterating the initial ground support system design until the kinematic stability meets the predetermined factor of safety.

A system configured to determine a property of a paving-related material is provided. The system includes a measuring device configured for measuring a property of a paving-related material and a cellular computer device configured for being in communication with and receiving data from the measuring device.

A soil sample collection machine has a mobile support frame that is transportable across the soil surface of an agricultural field. A surface scraper assembly is mounted to the mobile support frame and includes a scraper and a driver that is adapted to lower the scraper onto the surface of the soil and move the scraper across the soil surface for removing surface debris before a sample collection probe is driven into the soil at the scraped location and removes a soil sample. A soil sampling probe assembly is also mounted to the mobile support frame and includes a sample collection probe and a driver that is adapted to move the sample collection probe along a downward path into the soil to collect a sample of soil at the place the surface was scraped, to retract the probe upward and then to eject the soil sample from the probe into a container on an endless conveyer of containers.

The present invention is an apparatus which executes a photogrammetry method for calculating soil density. After a user excavates soil, measures the mass of the excavated soil and takes multiple images of the excavation site in combination with a calibration object, a data processor uses the various values obtained from the collected images to create a point cloud data object. The processor used this point cloud data object to create a visual representation of the hole. The processor rotates and scales the visual representation. The processor also uses the point cloud data object in volumetric calculations to determine the volume of the hole. Together with the soil mass, the volume allows calculation of soil density.

The expandable jacket and flexible ring comprises of the segmented circular arch shaped plates and bands or rings around the segmented plates. The test preparation consists of a membrane surrounding a specimen with or without a filter, segmented plates surrounding the membrane, and bands or rings around the segmented plates to permit uniform radial expansion of the specimen through its height when increments of vertical load are applied during the test, thereby providing accurate values of area of cross-section, deviator stress, volume change, modulus of elasticity, Poisson's ratio and shear strength. Using the flexible ring, three-dimensional consolidation tests are performed to determine three-dimensional coefficient of consolidation and coefficients of consolidation in horizontal and vertical directions. Removable attachments are used for assembling the expandable jacket and flexible ring during the test. A calibration device is used to determine the modulus of elasticity of the membrane and expandable jacket and flexible ring.

The expandable jacket and flexible ring comprises of the segmented circular arch shaped plates and bands or rings around the segmented plates. The test preparation consists of a membrane surrounding a specimen with or without a filter, segmented plates surrounding the membrane, and bands or rings around the segmented plates to permit uniform radial expansion of the specimen through its height when increments of vertical load are applied during the test, thereby providing accurate values of area of cross-section, deviator stress, volume change, modulus of elasticity, Poisson's ratio and shear strength. Using the flexible ring, three-dimensional consolidation tests are performed to determine three-dimensional coefficient of consolidation and coefficients of consolidation in horizontal and vertical directions. Removable attachments are used for assembling the expandable jacket and flexible ring during the test. A calibration device is used to determine the modulus of elasticity of the membrane and expandable jacket and flexible ring.

A system configured to determine a property of a paving-related material is provided. The system includes a measuring device configured for measuring a property of a paving-related material and a cellular computer device configured for being in communication with and receiving data from the measuring device.