Geotechnics ready for Class 1 Samples under Eurocode 7

From 1st April 2010, Eurocode 7 (BS EN 1997) and supporting standards become the required standard for ground investigation works undertaken on behalf of public funded bodies in the UK. 

Under BS EN 1997, Class 1 undisturbed samples are required for triaxial and oedometer testing.  Current practice under BS5930 has permitted the use of U100 undisturbed samples for these tests, however, this is not compliant with BS EN 1997, which (at best) classes U100 samples as Class 2 samples. 

Geotechnics Limited are pleased to announce that we are able to obtain Class 1 samples from boreholes using either piston sampling in very low strength/extremely low strength cohesive soils, or by using thin walled open drive tube (UT100) samplers, similar to those described in Gosling and Baldwin (Ground Engineering, March 2010) in low, medium, high and very high strength cohesive soils.

It should be noted the UT100 sample tubes and cutting shoes are manufactured from a high grade steel that needs to be imported, which could restrict the availability of these tubes over the next few months.  Geotechnics Limited are one of only a handful of companies in the UK to own the thin walled UT100 samplers.