The GeoEngineering Centre at Queen’s – RMC
Geotechnical Engineering Site Investigations:
In Situ Testing, Soil Sampling and Laboratory Testing
A 1.5 day short course by Don J. DeGroot, DSc, PE
December 3-4, 2009
Donald Gordon Centre
Queen’s University
Kingston, Ontario
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
The Short Course
This workshop presents in situ
testing,
soil
sampling
and
laboratory test methods for conduct
of geotechnical engineering site
investigations. Site investigation
programs ideally combine the best
of in situ testing and laboratory
testing, and the pros and cons of
both methods are presented,
including the reliance of in situ
tests on empirical correlations and
the dependency of laboratory data
on sample quality. In situ testing
and laboratory test equipment,
procedures, and data interpretation
methods for determination of soil
classification and soil design
parameters such as compressibility
and shear strength are described.
Particular emphasis is given to the
importance of sample disturbance
and its impact on laboratory
measurement of design parameters.
The primary focus of the workshop
is on conduct of proper and reliable
best practice methods. Appropriate
references are given to recognized
international standards such as
ASTM, CSA and ISO. Current state of
the art is also illustrated using
selected examples of the in situ and
laboratory
testing
methods.
Example data sets from recent site
investigations are presented to
illustrate
application
of
the
workshop concepts.
This workshop is suitable for geotechnical engineering
graduate students, academics, and public and private
sector practitioners.
Duration = 1.5 days
Course Topics
1. Introduction
 basic review of fundamentals of soil behaviour
 advantages and disadvantages of in situ testing
and laboratory testing
2. Drilling and sampling for laboratory tests
 drilling equipment and methods
 soil sampling equipment
3.




In Situ Testing (SPT, CPTU, DMT and FVT)
deployment systems and equipment
test procedures, data acquisition
relevant international guidelines and standards
data processing and interpretation, soil design
parameters
4. Laboratory Testing (Basic and Advanced Laboratory
Tests)
 laboratory instrumentation, data acquisition and
computer control
 effects of sample disturbance and quantification
 laboratory testing in clay I: consolidation and
hydraulic conductivity
 laboratory testing in clay II: strength testing
 laboratory testing in sands
Registration Information
To register, please send this completed
form to:
The GeoEngineering Centre
Queen's University
Ellis Hall
Kingston, ON K7L 3N6
For more information contact Dr. Ian
Moore Phone (613) 533-3160, fax (613)
533-2128
moore@civil.queensu.ca
Please inform us of any special dietary
requirements.
Name:
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Organization:
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Enclosed is my registration fee of:
$450
(please include applicable taxes)
Payment should be made by cheque to
Queen's University
The Lecturer
Dr. Don J. DeGroot is a professor in
the Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering at the
University
of
Massachusetts
Amherst. He received his Doctor of
Science degree in geotechnical
engineering at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology in 1989. An
award
winning
teacher
and
researcher, his academic and
consultancy experience is primarily
in the area of soil behaviour and environmental
Geotechnics, with an emphasis on laboratory and field
measurements for site characterization programs. Dr
DeGroot visited the GeoEngineering Centre in 2007
and gave an outstanding lecture on the effects of
sample disturbance on soil properties. He has agreed
to return to Kingston to provide this more extensive
and advanced introduction to Geotechnical Site
Investigation, drawing on his experience as a
specialist consultant and on his contributions as
Principal/Co-Principal Investigator on research
projects sponsored by the DOD, FHWA, MassHighway,
NCHRP, NSF, NRL and VTrans. Dr. DeGroot has served
on the editorial boards of the Journal of Geotechnical
and
Geoenvironmental
Engineering
and
the
Geotechnical Testing Journal and served as Chair of
the ASCE Geo-Institute Soil Properties and Modeling
Committee. Dr DeGroot’s teaching and research
awards include the James L. Tighe Civil Engineering
Distinguished Teaching Award, United Technologies
Corporation Outstanding Laboratory Teaching Award,
Research Council of Norway Guest Researcher
Fellowship, University of Western Australia Gledden
Visiting Senior Fellowship, and the CEE Research
Excellence Award.