The power auger soil sampling tool, driven by a motor, facilitates drilling into the soil effortlessly, enabling sample collection. This technique offers faster sampling, deeper reach, versatility across soil types, and consistent results. Soil testing serves as a crucial initial phase in construction, environmental, geological, archaeological, and agricultural projects. Consequently, soil augers play a pivotal role, aiding in drilling holes and collecting samples for laboratory analysis. Enter the power auger: a method praised for its speed and efficiency in soil sampling. This technique stands out as one of the fastest and most effective means of gathering soil samples. Delving deeper, this article explores the power auger method of soil sampling and its associated procedures.
Understanding the power auger soil sampling method
The power auger soil sampling method of soil sampling involves using a mechanical tool called a power auger to bore into various depths in the ground to extract soil samples.
Additionally, a motor drives the powered auger, which consists of a rotating metal shaft with a blade that bores holes into soil surfaces. Different types of power augers follow the same working principle: a power source rotates the auger blade, which then cuts into the soil to extract samples or create boreholes as it turns.
The power auger soil sampling method offers the following benefits:
- Faster and more efficient: They can quickly drill into the ground. Plus, they provide consistent sampling results across multiple locations.
- Offers deep sampling: They are capable of reaching greater depths than manual techniques.
- Offers versatility: They accommodate various soil types (sandy, clay, and rocky), allowing them to be used in locations where manual sampling may be impractical, such as areas with compacted or rocky soil.
- Increased safety: They reduce the physical strain associated with manual augering.
Read also: Features of the Best Soil Sampling Tools
The main types of power auger soil sampling
Different types of soil sampling augers are used for sampling various soil types.
They include:
Earth auger
Earth augers are power augers designed specifically for drilling holes in soils. The earth/ soil auger can be powered by small gasoline engines and electric motors.
They are commonly used for small-scale drilling tasks.
These soil samplers come with different bits, depending on the type of soil to be sampled.
Sand auger bits are used for sampling dry sandy soil. Sand augers have a partially closed body and closed bits, allowing them to retain loose samples.
These soil samplers can perform quick field sampling and are particularly effective in obtaining disturbed samples at or near the surface.
Mud auger bits are used for sampling wet soil or clay soil. Mud augers are open-face augers featuring a unique open-space design ideal for cutting through mucky boggy soils and easily recovering the wet samples.
Bucket auger
An open-top metal cylinder with a cutting edge, the bucket auger cuts into the soil as it rotates. Applying downward pressure forces the cut soil into the bucket.
When the bucket fills up, the operator stops rotating it, lifts it out of the borehole, and tips it to empty.
Bucket augers are generally used for drilling cohesive or clayey soil. They give relatively undisturbed soil, making them excellent for soil sampling for geotechnical investigations.
Flight auger
Manufacturers most commonly use flight augers as power augers. A flight auger features a helical or spiral blade that runs along the length of a torque bar.
Therefore, people also refer to flighted augers as continuous-flight augers or single-flight augers.
When augering, the torque bar spins and rips the helical blade into the ground. The blade’s spiral design then carries the cuttings to the surface.
Flight augering suits various soil types, including sandy and cohesive soils. However, the torque bar may be hollow or solid, giving two types of flight augers (solid-stem flight augers and hollow-stem flight augers).
Hollow stem auger
A hollow stem auger is any auger that has a hollow center that allows you to collect soil directly within the auger. Hollow stem augering is perfect for soil sampling when you want undisturbed soil.
Thus, it is the soil sampler that is commonly used for geotechnical or environmental testing.
Hydraulic augering
A hydraulic system powers a hydraulic auger, providing it with more power and speed.
Additionally, Hydraulic augers offer greater drilling force and better control, making them suitable for large-scale drilling operations. People commonly use them for deep drilling.
Procedures for power auger soil sampling
The procedure for using the power auger method of soil sampling is as follows:
Step 1: Select the right auger
Soil samplers come in various designs, each suited for different soil types and drilling depths. So, the first step is to choose the appropriate type and size of power soil auger for your project.
Step 2: Prepare the sampling location
Remove all debris or other obstacles that may interfere with the auger operation.
Step 3: Set up the power auger
How you set up your power auger depends on its type. However, setting it up involves properly fastening the power auger and ensuring it is in proper working condition.
Then connect it to a suitable power source.
For example, consider using the frozen soil powered auger kit. Setting up will be as follows:
- Connect the adapter to the SDS max hammer drill and ensure it locks in place. Note, the auger kits do not include the hammer drill.
- Next, connect the adapter to a quick-connect extension rod using a snapper pin.
- To reach more drilling depth, attach another extension rod to the core barrel.
- Lastly, connect both extension rods.
- Connect the hammer drill to a power source.
Step 4: Start drilling
Position the power auger bottom at the desired sampling location, stabilize it, and start the motor.
For the frozen soil power auger kit, this requires setting the hammer drills selector switch to the “rotate and hammer” function. The hammer will engage only when it meets resistance.
The rotating hammer cuts into the soil and creates a borehole. The auger type collects the cut soil within the hollow stem of the hammer.
The sampling depth depends on the auger length. The two extension rods in the auger kits let you reach depths of up to 3 feet. But you can purchase additional extension rods to drill deeper.
Step 5: Extract the soil
The frozen soil power auger collects soil samples in its hollow stem as it penetrates the ground.
Once the chamber is full or you reach the desired depth, carefully extract the hammer/ auger from the borehole and recover the samples.
The auger kits include a special spoon for extracting samples from the hammer’s hollow chamber.
Step 6: Collect the samples
Place extracted soil samples into appropriate containers. Depending on your investigation, you may want to avoid contamination with external debris and cross-contamination between soil layers.
Lastly, label each sample container properly, employing information such as date, sampling location, sampling depth, etc.
You may also like: Soil Testing Best Practices and Tips
Takeaway: Employ power auger soil sampling for fast and accurate tests
The power auger is a motor-driven device that makes it easier to drill into the ground and collect soil samples for testing.
Though power augers come in different types and sizes, their operating principle is the same – a power source provides rotational force to rotate a blade that cuts into the ground to extract samples or create boreholes.
They offer faster drilling, reach greater sampling depth, accommodate various soil types, and provide consistent sampling results.
Thus, the power auger method of soil sampling is the best for fast and accurate soil tests. But you’ll need to start with a reliable power auger. This is where Certified MTP comes in!
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