A trial pit (or test pit) is an excavation of ground in order to study or sample the composition and

structure A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...

of the subsurface, usually dug during a site investigation, a

soil survey Soil survey, or soil mapping, is the process of classifying soil types and other soil properties in a given area and geo-encoding such information. Background Soil surveys apply the principles of soil science and draw heavily from geomorpholog ...

or a geological survey. Trial pits are dug before the construction. They are dug to determine the geology and the water table of that site. Trial pits are usually between 1 and 4 metres deep, and are dug either by hand or using a mechanical digger. Building and construction regulations clearly state that any trial pits that concede deeper than 1.2 metres should be secured against structural collapse, if they are to be entered by people.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trial Pit In situ geotechnical investigations Excavations