SOILS & MATERIALS LABORATORY (M) SDN BHD (75023-M)

METHOD STATEMENT OF PLATE BEARING LOAD TEST

(BS 1377 PART 9 : 1990 CLAUSE 4.1)

1 GENERAL

(A) REQUIREMENTS

Size of Bearing Plate : 300mm X 300mm X 25mm thick steel bearing plate

2
Designated Load : 200 KN/m

2
Designated Maximum Load : 600 KN/m (3 X designated load)

Total Kentledge Load Requirement : 8 tonnes of reacting load

(B) KENTLEDGE LOAD

Concrete blocks with steel I beam shall be set up and used as loading platform. The total load shall
be about 8 tonnes

(C) TEST LOADING

The test load shall be applied concentrically to the plate by means of a 10 tonnes
hydraulic jack. The test load shall be measured by a pressure gauge

(D) MEASUREMENT OF DEFLECTION

Observation of vertical movement shall be made with a least three dial gauges of 75mm
travel and graduated to 0.01mm.

(E) REFERENCE BEAM

Reading of vertical movement shall be referred to two steel beams fixed to firm supports.
The length of reference beam shall be minimum of 2.5 metres.

2 TEST PROCEDURES

(A) TEST ASSEMBLY

The selected test area shall be levelled and the steel bearing plate bedded on cement
mortar of 10mm thickness.

The loading platform set-up arrangement shall be as shown in the drawing. The test load
shall be applied in 10 increments up to designated maximum load or up to failure load
which occurs when the jacking load cannot be maintained or when the total settlement
of the test plate has reach 10% of the plate dimension.

The load after each increment shall be kept constant until the rate of settlement does
not exceed 0.25mm per 15 min or the load shall be maintained at minimum holding
time as specified.

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 SOILS & MATERIALS LABORATORY (M) SDN BHD (75023-M)

(B) SEQUENCE OF THE LOADING

First Cycle
(i) Loading shall be in increment of 1/5 designated load to designated load
(ii) Unloading shall take place in three approximately equal steps
(iii) Designated load and all other loading increments shall be maintained until settlement as measured
on each gauge separately does not exceed 0.25mm in 15 minutes
Reading shall be taken at a time intervals 5 minutes until settlement has reached the required rate
or minimum holding time whichever is longer.
(iv) Each intermediate unloading step shall be maintained for 15 minutes.

Second Cycle
(i) Loading shall be first to designated load and then in five increments of 1/5 designated load to
sitpulated maximum load (2 times designated load) or failure whichever is the lower
(ii) Unloading shall take place in three approximately equal steps
(iii) Designated load and all other loading increments shall be maintained until settlements as measured
on each gauge separately does not exceed 0.25mm in half an hour.
(iv) At maximum load, readings shall be taken at a time interval of 5 minutes and shall be maintained for the
minimum holding time as specified

(C) In - Situ Sample

Disturbed soil samples shall be taken from the test pits for classification and moisture content test.

(D) Test Report

A load against settlement curve shall be plotted and the settlement results reported.

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 SOILS & MATERIALS LABORATORY (M) SDN BHD (75023-M)

The Loading Schedule is as Tabulated Below :-

% of Working Test Load Minimum Holding Pressure Gauge

Cycle Load (kN/m2) Time (minutes) Reading (Bar)
0 0 0 0
25 50 15 31
1st Cycle Loading 50 100 15 63
75 150 15 94
100 200 15 126
75 150 15 94
50 100 15 63
1st Cycle Unloading
25 50 15 31
0 0 15 0
100 200 30 126
150 300 30 189
2nd Cycle Loading 200 400 30 252
250 500 30 315
300 600 60 378
225 450 15 283
150 300 15 189
2nd Cycle Unloading
75 150 15 94
0 0 30 0

' Power Team ' 10 tons Hydraulic Jack.

Ram area = 14.3 cm 2 = 0.00143 m 2
( 1 kN/m 2 = 0.01 Bar )

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