Rotary-pressure sounding is a method of testing soil conditions that might be performed as part of a

geotechnical investigation Geotechnical investigations are performed by geotechnical engineers or engineering geologists to obtain information on the physical properties of soil earthworks and foundations for proposed structures and for repair of distress to earthworks a ...

. A series of rods, with a specially designed tip, is forced into the ground under downward pressure. The rotation and speed of insertion are maintained at a constant rate, and the amount of force required to maintain that rate is measured. The results can be interpreted to provide information about sediment stratification, and sometimes also the type of

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include: * Debri ...

and the depth to bedrock. The rotary-pressure sounding method was developed by the

Norwegian Geotechnical Institute Norwegian Geotechnical Institute ( no, Norges geotekniske institutt, NGI) is an independent international centre for research and consultancy in engineering-related geosciences, integrating geotechnical, geological and geophysical expertise. NGI i ...

(NGI) and the

Norwegian Public Roads Administration The Norwegian Public Roads Administration ( no, Statens vegvesen) is a Norwegian government agency responsible for national and county public roads in Norway. This includes planning, construction and operation of the national and county road netw ...

(NPRA) in 1967.

References

In situ geotechnical investigations {{civil-engineering-stub