Test Pits
Test Pits
A method of Site Exploration
The general prcedure to find the nature of the sub. soil strata is to dig a hole and view it. The holes which are large enough to allow the entry of persons for inspection are called ‘Test Pits’. These are normally square in plan and are dug by hand or by an excavating equipment. The dimensions of the test pits depend largely upon the depths upto which the excavation is to be made. In cohesionless soils, the sides of the test pit are sharply sloped. In cohesive soils, at depth below 3 m, bracing is required to keep the sides of the pit vertical. Test Pits are comparatively expensive and hence they are only used for structure having shallow foundations (upto 3 meters).