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An Introduction to Field Explorations for Foundations

J. Paul Guyer, P.E., R.A., Fellow ASCE, Fellow AEI


Course Outline

1.  Investigational programs
2.  Soil boring program
3.  Field measurements of relative density and consistency
4.  Boring logs
5.  Groundwater observations
6.  In situ load tests
7.  Geophysical exploration
8.  Borehole surveying

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

Upon completion of this course you will:

Intended Audience

This course is intended for civil engineers, structural engineers, geotechnical engineers, geologists and other design and construction professionals wanting an introduction to methods and techniques for field exploration of existing soil and rock conditions prior to design of foundations for buildings and structures.

Benefit for Attendee

This course will give engineers and other design and construction professionals an introduction to field explorations for foundations on soil and rock.

Course Introduction

This is an introduction to methods, techniques and equipment for undertaking field exploration of soil and rock conditions for design of foundations for buildings and structures.

About Course Author

Paul Guyer is a registered mechanical engineer, civil engineer, fire protection engineer and architect with over 35 years experience in the design of buildings and related infrastructure.  For an additional 9 years he was a senior-level advisor to the California Legislature on infrastructure and capital outlay issues.  He has designed and supervised the design of hundreds of construction projects requiring the preparation of detailed working drawings and specifications for federal, state and local public agencies and private companies.  He is a graduate of Stanford University and has held numerous national, state and local positions with the American Society of Civil Engineers and National Society of Professional Engineers.

Course Content

The course content is contained in the following PDF file:

An Introduction to Field Explorations for Foundations

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

This course will give you an introduction to field exploration of soil and rock conditions and properties for foundations for buildings and structures.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

Take a Quiz


DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.