Procedure of Using A LWD for Testing the Bearing

Capacity and Compaction Quality of Soil

A light weight deflectometer is a portable device that was developed in
Germany for a more efficient and precise way to measure soil's compaction
quality and bearing capacity. A LWD is useful when evaluating the degree of
compaction in subsoil. Hence, it is ideal for quality control and quality
assurance of the compaction of embankments, replacement fills, and soilsurfaced roads. It allows a dynamic test for mixed and coarse grained soils.
The bearing capacity pertains to the soil's ability to safely carry or support
the pressure that will be placed on it from the engineered structure. The soil
must be able to withstand the weight and pressure of the structure without
causing any problems to the structure's form and installation. However,
applying safe bearing pressure will not necessarily guarantee that the
foundation's settlement will remain within certain acceptable limits. Hence,
engineers must analyze the settlement, especially as many structures are
typically sensitive to excessive settlement.
Bearing pressures that go beyond the limit of the soil's shear resistance will
cause the structure to tilt or collapse. Bearing capacity failure can result to
an extensive downward movement of the structure. The movement can
typically be from 0.5 feet to more than 10 feet in magnitude, and this can
occur within a day after the application of the first full load to the soil.
LWDs must be used continuously throughout the construction project to
determine the soil's strength. Shear failure may sometimes influence the
design of a structure to prevent large deformations in the soil before failure
occurs. Differential movement and excessive settlement can lead to cracking
and distortion of structures, loss of water retaining capacity and freeboard of
dams and embankments, discomfort to occupants, structural failure, and
misaligned operating equipment.
Various test methods can be used to determine the bearing capacity and
compaction quality of soil. ASTM E2835-11 international standard LWDs
provide a convenient method to test soil, with a calibration system that is
accredited by the German Federal Road Research Institute. A high-quality
LWD must have a weatherproof box and a large window with external
controls and a GPS system that can provide satellite photo illustrations. One
of the best LWDs has an integrated printer and USB flash drive. This way, you
can easily print out the results or transfer them to your computer for
analysis.
About The Author:
TERRATEST GmbH is world leader in development and manufacturing of Light

Weight Deflectometers for dynamic load plate test. They offer the worlds
first light weight deflectometer TERRATEST 5000 BLU with Bluetooth and
voice navigation. For more information about their products visit their
website!