Recommendations for High-Quality 03 June 2020

Field Sampling Procedures Dames & Moore Sampler

Recommendations for High-Quality Field

Sampling Procedures using the Dames & Moore
(DM) Hydraulic Fixed-Piston Thin-Walled Tube
Sampler
Prepared for:

New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)

Prepared by:

Jonathan D. Braya, Christine Z. Beyzaeia, Misko Cubrinovskib, Michael Riemera, Christopher Markhama,
Mark E. Stringerb, Mike Jackac, Frederick J. Wentzd, and Iain Haycocke

(a University of California, Berkeley; b University of Canterbury; c

Tonkin & Taylor Ltd.;
d
Wentz-Pacific Ltd; e McMillan Drilling Ltd.)

03 June 2020

DISCLAIMER:

These guidelines describe “good practices” for field sampling using the Dames & Moore (DM) Hydraulic
Fixed-Piston Thin-Walled Tube Sampler. Experienced users should follow these guidelines to ensure
standardized practice within the geotechnical community, in pursuit of consistent high-quality sampling
and testing.

These guidelines do not cover every scenario that may be encountered during field sampling and
laboratory testing. The experienced user should exercise judgement in developing solutions for adverse
conditions, with the goal of maintaining high-quality work. Alternative sampling methods and deviations
from the prescribed specifications may be necessary, but care should be taken to minimize negative
effects on the samples and specimens. Vibrations, rotations, and impact forces should be avoided.

These guidelines do not guarantee high-quality samples will be obtained and do not guarantee high-
quality laboratory testing will be performed with those samples. Individual users are the primary variable
in sampling and testing quality and repeatability.

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Field Sampling Procedures Dames & Moore Sampler

These guidelines are not intended as a teaching tool for new users. It is hoped they will provide
geotechnical practitioners with a general appreciation of the issues that need to be considered when
undertaking high-quality sampling.

OBJECTIVES

These guidelines are provided to improve the likelihood of retrieving high quality samples using the
Dames & Moore (DM) hydraulic fixed-piston thin-walled tube sampler in a cased mud-rotary boring.
High quality samples are often referred to as “undisturbed” samples, although it is recognized that no
sample can be retrieved without some minimal amount of disturbance. The aim of “undisturbed”
sampling is to reduce sample disturbance effects to the point where they have a minor, trackable effect on
the results of laboratory testing. Thus, the resulting sample disturbance effects are minor and can be
assessed confidently while interpreting test results.

DM sampling is a highly specialized operation and requires an experienced drilling team that is familiar
with the sampling equipment and procedures. The precise detail of this operation is beyond the scope of
this document. The notes that follow have been prepared for use by engineers planning and undertaking
geotechnical investigations. They are intended to provide information and guidance at key points to help
improve the quality of the sampling operation.

DAMES & MOORE (DM) HYDRAULIC FIXED-PISTON THIN-WALLED TUBE SAMPLER

The DM hydraulic fixed-piston soil sampler is an Osterberg (1952)-type sampling device (Figure 1) that
uses thin-walled, constant-inside-diameter, brass sample tubes with an outside cutting edge bevel of 60°
to reduce disturbance during sampling. The nominal dimensions of the sampling tube are: OD = 63.5 mm,
ID = 61.2 mm, and inside sampling length is 450 mm. Thus, when the sample tube is fully advanced,
100% recovery corresponds to a sample length of 450 mm.

Restricting the sample length to 450 mm and the use of smooth low-friction brass tubes reduces
disturbance due to soil plugging. The DM brass tube area ratio (Ca) is 7.6%, which is defined by Hvorslev
(1949) as Ca = 100·(OD2-ID2)/ID2, where OD is outside tube diameter and ID is inside tube diameter, and
recommended to be less than 10-15%.

The sample tubes are secured to the sampler using grub screws which fit through two 10mm diameter
holes in the sample tube, located 12.7 mm from the top. Removing the sample tube from the tool after
sampling can be difficult due to the vacuum which exists between the bottom of the fixed piston and the
top of the sample. To ease the removal process, a pair of 1mm diameter weep holes may be drilled
through the tubes at a distance of 40 mm from the top. If weep holes are to be used, they must be created
prior to sampling and then covered with several rounds of electrical tape before the tube is attached to the
sampler.

In gravelly soil conditions that are prone to damaging brass tubes, stainless steel sample tubes are
sometimes used with the DM sampler. However, stainless steel tubes are not equivalent to brass tubes and
typically result in higher sample disturbance due to higher interface friction and typically higher Ca
values. The DM hydraulic fixed-piston sampler is shown in Figures 2 & 3.

The DM hydraulic fixed-piston sampler was developed for clays and silts, and it has been shown to
retrieve high quality samples of plastic fine-grained soils (e.g., Bray and Sancio 2006). Silty sands and
fine sands with some silt have been successfully sampled with the DM sampler, and testing indicates

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high-quality samples can be retrieved in these soil types (e.g., Markham 2015, Markham et al. 2016).
Medium dense sands have also been sampled successfully (meaning good recoveries were obtained; in
situ shear wave velocities were preserved; measured relative densities compared favourably with CPT
correlations; and lab-based cyclic resistance curves were similar to those from accepted field liquefaction
triggering procedures; Markham et al. 2016). However, there is evidence that indicates loose sand
samples (i.e., clean sand units with qc1n < 60; Boulanger and Idriss 2014) were disturbed significantly
during sampling by densification (Markham et al. 2016). The effectiveness of the DM sampler to retrieve
“undisturbed” samples of dense sand has not been evaluated yet; significant sampling disturbance of
dense soils would likely reduce their density.

PREPARATION FOR SAMPLING

 Sampling tubes should be inspected to ensure that there is no visible damage to the cutting edge
at the base of the tube and that the tube has not been warped (i.e. oval cross section).
 Optional weep holes may be drilled at the top of the sample tube to assist in the removal of the
sample tube from the tool after sampling. If used, the holes should be of small diameter (i.e.
approx. 1mm diameter) and located such that they are slightly below the o-ring on the fixed
piston. These holes should be covered with tape prior to sampling.
 Verify the length of the sample tube, as well as the stroke of the sampler to determine the
expected length of core corresponding to 100% recovery.

DM FIELD SAMPLING PROCEDURE

 Mud-rotary borehole should be drilled out to the sampling depth using a side-discharge tri-cone
roller bit (see Figure 4). Drilling fluid should consist of heavy “mud” created by adding bentonite
or polymer additives to the drilling water. Drilling fluid should be appropriate for maintaining
borehole stability and preventing mud loss.
 Conventional drilling will require casing with an inside diameter of at least 100 mm. Casing
should be kept a minimum of 2 times the casing diameter (but no more than 1 m) above the
bottom of the borehole to prevent borehole collapse, fall-in from shallower depths, and mud loss.
Schematic for casing/sampling depths is shown in Figure 5. The final section of borehole between
the bottom of the casing string and the target depth should be drilled after setting the casing. The
roller bit should be advanced slowly, and once the target depth has been reached, the bit should
be lifted 300 mm above the bottom of the hole and mud circulated to remove cuttings in the
borehole. Do not leave roller bit at sampling depth too long, or it will erode the top of the sample.
 Measure depth to bottom of borehole prior to sampler insertion using a weighted tape.
 Attach D&M sampler to drill rods and carefully lower sampler to bottom of borehole using the
rig’s hoist and minimize contact of sampler/tube against the inner wall of casing and sides of
borehole. Drillers should not slide the rods down the hole. Confirm sampler is at proper sampling
depth based on drill rod stick-up.
 Use weight of rods to seat sampler to ensure its end is pushed through disturbed material (slough)
at the bottom of the hole so that the top of retrieved specimen is firm.
o If required, a small amount of steady pressure can be applied to push end of sampler
through overly soft material in the bottom of the borehole. Do not over-push so that
sampler causes a plug of soil below it to disturb the soil below the bottom of the
borehole. If excessive force has to be applied to the sampler to get to target depth, then
hole has not been sufficiently cleaned out or excessive fall in has occurred. The sampler
should not be pushed past the depth that was confirmed using the weighted tape measure.
If the soil is weak, it may be necessary to use the rig hoist to prevent the sampler from
advancing past the start of the intended sampling zone.

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 Record “seating” depth as sampler is pushed gently through any slough at bottom of borehole
prior to retrieving a sample.
 Fill the drill rods with mud prior to connecting them to the rig’s pumps.
 Ensure that rods are mechanically clamped in place to resist any upward movement of the drill
rods during sampling.
 Advance sample tube with the drilling mud using a large capacity pump in a continuous stroke
using moderate to high (if required) pressure. Record maximum pressure required.
o Once the sampler has fully advanced, the drilling mud is able to escape the drill string via
vent holes on the side of the sampler body and drilling mud returns should be visible at
the surface.
o At the instant that the sampler reaches full extension, the mud pressure will typically
reduce suddenly at the instant when the vent holes become opened.
 With the drill rods mechanically clamped in place, turn off drill rig and leave the sampler in the
borehole (at-depth) for a minimum of 5 minutes.
 After at least 5 minutes, rotate the rods/sampler through two full revolutions to shear the soil
contact at the bottom of the sampler.
 Slowly remove the sampler and tube from the borehole using the rig hoist, keeping the borehole
filled with mud at all times. Avoid contact between the sampler assembly and the casing or sides
of the borehole.
o Keep the sample tube vertical as it is removed from the borehole and detached from drill
rods. Place a hand under the tube as it is removed from the borehole and drill rods to
prevent slippage inside the tube.
o If weep holes were pre-drilled in the top of the tube, remove the electrical tape to break
the seal.
o Do not shake or rock the tube back and forth during removal from the sampler. Gently
move the tube backwards and forwards to break the suction at the piston interface.
o Quickly inspect and if possible measure the distance between bottom of the sample tube
and bottom of soil inside sample tube. Immediately place plastic cap on bottom of sample
tube. If necessary, rags can be placed in the bottom of the sample tube (between soil and
bottom cap) to support the soil inside sampling tube with less than 100% recovery. Use
electrical tape to secure the caps to the tube after gently wiping the outside of the tube.
Keep the sample tube vertical during this entire process.

AFTER SAMPLING

 Record distance of top/bottom of sample from top/bottom of tube and hence the length of the
sample and record the percent recovery (i.e., sample length divided by 450 mm as a percentage).
Note if surfaces were uneven.
 Weigh tube without any end caps or rags.
 The bottom end of the tube should be inspected to assess suitability of brass vs. stainless steel
tubes. Brass tubes will be used unless they are damaged to the point where they no longer retrieve
high quality undisturbed samples (e.g., dents, nicks in cutting edge). If stronger tubes are
necessary, thin-walled, constant-inside-diameter, smooth stainless steel tubes may be used.
Record the area ratio (Ca) of the tubes.
 Sample tubes should be appropriately labelled, and the top and bottom of the sample clearly
identified.
 Electrical tape should be used to close weep holes (if used) and the attachment holes.
 After the sample tube has been removed, the sampler should be disassembled and washed in clean
water to remove all soil and organic material. The split ring seal should be carefully removed and
cleaned as part of this process (do not use sharp tools which can gouge the split ring).

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 Anti-seize compound should be applied to all threads.

 Completely dry the sampler prior to storage.

SAMPLE TRANSPORTATION & STORAGE

The approach to sample transportation will vary depending on the type of soils being sampled, the
distances over which they are being transported and the expected road conditions.
 Samples of clayey soil should be sealed at both ends using wax, before protecting with plastic end
caps.
 Samples of sandy material which may be prone to liquefaction should be fitted with punctured
end caps and allowed to drain on site (preferably overnight if a secure location is available) prior
to transportation.
 If transporting samples by car, they should be placed vertically in a foam-padded box. Tubes
should be secured in a vertical position, with additional padding between tubes. Empty spaces
should be filled with additional padding to prevent movement of the tubes during transport.
 The sample box should be transported on a car seat – do not place transport the tubes in a car
trunk or the footwell of a car.
 Once in the laboratory, samples should preferably be stored in a wet room, or beneath a tarpaulin
with a humidifier.
 If transporting clean sands (<10% Fines Content) significant distances, it may be preferable to
freeze the samples prior to transportation. The freezing process should be carried out in a
uniaxial manner, freezing from the top down, while allowing the soil samples to continue to
drain. Samples should remain in a frozen state until the time of testing. Additional handling
procedures will be required to prepare frozen sampling for testing.

SAMPLE EXTRUSION (UNFROZEN SAMPLES)

 Extrusion length should be minimized by cutting tubes to the desired height. Before cutting brass
tubes install stiffening rings on the tube above and below the location of the intended cut to
prevent temporary distortion of the tube during cutting (Figure 6). When cutting through the
tubes, the cutting element should be advanced gradually to avoid unnecessary radial deformations
of the tube. Slowly rotate a large-diameter pipe cutter (with a material-appropriate cutting wheel)
around the sample tube to cut it. Once the brass tube has been cut all the way around, smoothly
slide a wire saw through the tube at the cut location to cut through the soil sample.
 Always extrude the specimen from the tube in the same direction as the soil first entered the tube
using a manually-operated hydraulic jack (Figure 6). The upper portion of the exposed sample
that is damaged during the deburring operation should be removed using a wire saw.
 Once the desired length has been extruded, the specimen should be cut at the bottom using a wire
saw. The specimen should be hand lifted away from the sample tube by gently supporting the
specimen over as much of its curved sides as possible, starting at the bottom of the specimen.
Capillary stresses in most soils with fines are sufficient to temporarily maintain freestanding
specimens.
 Visually inspect the extruded test specimen and record any features which might suggest
disturbance to the specimen (e.g., visible cracks, twigs, gravels). Proceed immediately with test
specimen preparation protocol, depending on the intended type of testing. Please refer to the
guidelines for CTX testing for additional details related to sample preparation and laboratory
testing.

REFERENCES

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ASTM D6519-08. Standard Practice for Sampling of Soil Using the Hydraulically Operated Stationary
Piston Sampler.

Boulanger, R. W., and Idriss, I. M. (2014). CPT and SPT Based Liquefaction Triggering Procedures.
Report No. UCD/CGM-14/01, Center for Geotechnical Modeling, Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering, Univ. of California, Davis, CA, 134 pp.

Bray, J.D. and Sancio, R.B. (2006). Assessment of the Liquefaction Susceptibility of Fine-Grained Soils.
J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., ASCE, V. 132, 1165-1177.

Hvorslev. M.J. (1949). Subsurface exploration and sampling of soils for civil engineering purposes.
Waterways Experiment Station: Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Idriss, I.M. and Boulanger, R.W. (2008). Soil Liquefaction During Earthquakes. EERI Monograph MNO-
12.

Markham, C. S. (2015). Response of Liquefiable Sites in the Central Business District of Christchurch,
New Zealand. PhD Dissertation. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of
California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 577 pp.

Markham, C.S., Bray, J.D., Riemer, M.F., and Cubrinovski, M. (2016). Characterization of Shallow Soils
in the Central Business District of Christchurch, New Zealand. Geotechnical Testing Journal, ASTM,
accepted for publication May 2016.

Osterberg, J.O. (1952). New Piston-type soil sampler. Engineering News Record, April 24, 1952.

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Figure 1: Schematic of hydraulic piston sampler operation using a thin-walled sampling tube (from
ASTM D6519-08)

Figure 2: Fully and partially-disassembled DM Hydraulic Fixed-Piston Sampler with brass tube

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Figure 3. Fully-assembled DM Sampler (shown attached to drill rods, prior to sample tube placement)

Figure 4: Side-discharge tri-cone roller bit

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Figure 5: Drilling schematic – casing/sampling depths

Figure 6: DM sample removal showing stiffening rings with pipe cutter and test specimen extrusion.

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