The design and construction of geotechnical infrastructures require a good knowledge of the mechanical behavior of geologic materials and their spatial variability. Such information can be obtained from a properly planned and executed site investigation program including laboratory tests and in-situ tests. The two methodologies are very much complementary to each other rather than competing. However, in-situ tests can often be preferable to laboratory tests because of their important advantages such as cost effectiveness, efficiency, the ability to assess the geologic materials in their natural environment, and the possibility to estimate the spatial variability of the natural deposits.

This one-day CPD course will cover the basic concepts of commonly encountered in-situ tests with application examples including standard penetration test (SPT), cone penetration test (CPT), vane shear test (VST), pressuremeter test (PMT), dilatometer test (DMT) and stepped blade test, borehole shear test (BST), impression packer survey, point load test, in-situ hydraulic conductivity measurements, plate load test, different full-scale tests on load-carrying capacity of piles, field control of compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test etc.