ASTM D5784/D5784M-18

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Designation: D5784/D5784M − 13 D5784/D5784M − 18
Standard Guide for
Use of Hollow-Stem Augers for Geoenvironmental
Exploration and the Installation of Subsurface Water-Quality
Water Quality Monitoring Devices
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D5784/D5784M; the number immediately following the designation indicates the
year of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last
reapproval. A superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope*
1.1 This guide covers how hollow-stem auger-drilling systems may be used for geoenvironmental exploration and installation
of subsurface water-quality water quality monitoring devices.
1.2 Hollow-stem auger drilling for geoenvironmental exploration and monitoring device installations often involves safety
planning, administration, and documentation. This guide does not purport to specifically address exploration and site safety.
NOTE 1—This guide does not include considerations for geotechnical site characterizations that are addressed in a separate guide.
1.3 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each
system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the
two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety safety, health, and healthenvironmental practices and determine the
applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.5 This guide offers an organized collection of information or a series of options and does not recommend a specific course
of action. This document cannot replace education or experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgment.
Not all aspects of this guide may be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to represent or replace
the standard of care by which the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged, nor should this document be applied
without consideration of a project’s many unique aspects. The word “Standard” in the title of this document means only that the
document has been approved through the ASTM consensus process.
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids
D1452 Practice for Soil Exploration and Sampling by Auger Borings
D1586 Test Method for Standard Penetration Test (SPT) and Split-Barrel Sampling of Soils
D1587 Practice for Thin-Walled Tube Sampling of Fine-Grained Soils for Geotechnical Purposes
D2113 Practice for Rock Core Drilling and Sampling of Rock for Site Exploration
D2487 Practice for Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System)
D2488 Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures)
D3550 Practice for Thick Wall, Ring-Lined, Split Barrel, Drive Sampling of Soils
D3740 Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Engaged in Testing and/or Inspection of Soil and Rock as Used in
Engineering Design and Construction
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D18 on Soil and Rock and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.21 on Groundwater and Vadose
Zone Investigations.
Current edition approved Aug. 1, 2013June 1, 2018. Published October 2013July 2018. Originally approved in 1995. Last previous edition approved in 20062013 as
D5784 – 95 (2006).D5784 – 13. DOI: 10.1520/D5784_D5784M-13.10.1520/D5784_D5784M-18.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D5784/D5784M − 18
D4428/D4428M Test Methods for Crosshole Seismic Testing
D5088 Practice for Decontamination of Field Equipment Used at Waste Sites
D5092 Practice for Design and Installation of Groundwater Monitoring Wells
D5099 Test Methods for Rubber—Measurement of Processing Properties Using Capillary Rheometry
D5434 Guide for Field Logging of Subsurface Explorations of Soil and Rock
D5521 Guide for Development of Groundwater Monitoring Wells in Granular Aquifers
D6151 Practice for Using Hollow-Stem Augers for Geotechnical Exploration and Soil Sampling
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 For definitions of general terms, refer to Terminology D653.
3.1 Definitions—For definitions of general termsused within this standard, refer to Terminology D653.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 bentonite—the common name for drilling fluid additives and well-construction products consisting mostly of naturally
occurring montmorillonite. Some bentonite products have chemical additives that may affect water-quality analyses.
3.2.2 bentonite granules and chips—irregularly shaped particles of bentonite (free from additives) that have been dried and
separated into a specific size range.
3.2.3 bentonite pellets—roughly spherical- or disk-shaped units of compressed bentonite powder (some pellet manufacturers
coat the bentonite with chemicals that may affect the water-quality analysis).
3.2.4 continuous-sampling devices—barrel-type samplers that fit within the lead auger of the hollow-auger column. The sampler
barrel fills with material as the augers advance.
3.2.5 drill hole—a cylindrical hole advanced into the subsurface by mechanical means. Also known as borehole or boring.
3.2.6 drawworks—a power-driven winch, or several winches, usually equipped with a clutch and brake system(s) for hoisting
or lowering a drilling string.
3.2.7 filter pack—also known as a gravel pack or a primary filter pack in the practice of monitoring-well installations. The gravel
pack is usually granular material, having specified grain-size characteristics, that is placed between a monitoring device and the
borehole wall. The basic purpose of the filter pack or gravel envelope is to act as: (1) a nonclogging filter when the aquifer is not
suited to natural development or, (2) act as a formation stabilizer when the aquifer is suitable for natural development.
3.2.7.1 Discussion—
Under most circumstances a clean, quartz sand or gravel should be used. In some cases a pre-packed screen may be used.
3.2.8 fluid-injection devices—usually consist of various auger components or drill-rig attachments that may be used to inject a
fluid within a hollow-auger column during drilling.
3.2.9 hoisting line—or drilling line, is wire rope used on the drawworks to hoist and lower the drill string.
3.2.10 in situ testing devices—sensors or probes, used to obtain mechanical or chemical-test data, that are typically pushed,
rotated, or driven below the bottom of a borehole following completion of an increment of drilling. However, some in situ testing
devices (such as electronic pressure transducers, gas-lift samplers, tensiometers, and and so forth) may require lowering and setting
of the device(s) in a preexisting borehole by means of a suspension line or a string of lowering rods or pipe. Centralizers may be
required to correctly position the device(s) in the borehole.
3.2.11 intermittent-sampling devices—usually barrel-type samplers that may be rotated, driven, or pushed below the bottom of
a borehole with drill rods or with a wireline system to lower, drive, and retrieve the sampler following completion of an increment
of drilling. The user is referred to the following ASTM standards relating to suggested sampling methods and procedures: Practice
D1452, Test Method D1586, Practice D3550, and Practice D1587.
3.2.12 mast—or derrick, on a drilling rig is used for supporting the crown block, top drive, pulldown chains, hoisting lines, and
so forth. It must be constructed to safely carry the expected loads encountered in drilling and completion of wells of the diameter
and depth for which the rig manufacturer specifies the equipment.
3.2.12.1 Discussion—
To allow for contingencies, it is recommended that the rated capacity of the mast should be at least twice the anticipated weight
load or normal pulling load.
3.2.13 subsurface water-quality monitoring device— an instrument placed below ground surface to obtain a sample for analyses
of the chemical, biological, or radiological characteristics of subsurface pore water or to make in-situ measurements.
D5784/D5784M − 18
4. Significance and Use
4.1 Hollow-stem auger drilling may be used in support of geoenvironmental exploration (Practice D3550, Test Method
D4428/D4428M) and for installation of subsurface water-quality water quality monitoring devices in unconsolidated materi-
als.sediment. Hollow-stem auger drilling may be selected over other methods based on the advantages over other methods. These
advantages include: the ability to drill without the addition of drilling fluid(s) to the subsurface, and hole stability for sampling
purposes (see Test Method D1586 and Practices D1587, D2487, D2488, and D6151) and monitor-well monitoring well
construction in unconsolidated to poorly indurated materials. This drilling method is generally restricted to the drilling of shallow,
unconsolidated materialssediment or softer rocks. The hollow-stem drilling method is a favorable method to be used for obtaining
cores and samples and for the installation of monitoring devices in many, but not allevery geologic environments. environment.
NOTE 2—In many geologic environments the hollow-stem auger drilling method can be used for drilling, sampling, and monitoring-device monitoring
device installations without the addition of fluids to the borehole. However, in cases where heaving water-bearing sands or silts are encountered, the
addition of water or drilling mud to the hollow-auger column may become necessary to inhibit the piping of these fluid-like materials into the augers.
These drilling conditions, if encountered, should be documented.
4.1.1 The application of hollow-stem augers to geoenvironmental exploration may involve groundwater and soil sampling,
in-situ in situ or pore-fluid testing, or utilization of the hollow-auger column as a casing for subsequent drilling activities in
unconsolidated or consolidated materials (Test Method D2113).
NOTE 3—The user may install a monitoring device within the same auger borehole wherein sampling or in-situ in situ or pore-fluid testing was
performed.
4.1.2 The hollow-stem auger column may be used as a temporary casing for installation of a subsurface water-quality water
quality monitoring device. The monitoring device is usually installed as the hollow-auger column is removed from the borehole.
4.2 The subsurface water-quality water quality monitoring devices that are addressed in this guide consist generally of a
screened or porous intake device and riser pipe(s) that are usually installed with a filter pack to enhance the longevity of the intake
unit, and with isolation seals and low-permeability backfill to deter the movement of fluids or infiltration of surface water between
hydrologic units penetrated by the borehole (see Practice D5092). Inasmuch as a A piezometer is primarily a device used for
measuring subsurface hydraulic heads, the conversion of a piezometer to a water-quality water quality monitoring device should
be made only after consideration of the overall quality and integrity of the installation, to include the quality of materials that will
contact sampled water or gas.
NOTE 4—Both water-quality water quality monitoring devices and piezometers should have adequate casing seals, annular isolation seals, and backfills
to deter the movement of fluids between hydrologic units.
NOTE 5—The quality of the result produced by this standard is dependent on the competence of the personnel performing it, and the suitability of the
equipment and facilities used. Agencies that meet the criteria of Practice D3740 are generally considered capable of competent and objective
testing/sampling/inspection/etc. testing/sampling/evaluation/and the like. Users of this standard are cautioned that compliance with Practice D3740 does
not in itself assure reliable results. Reliable results depend on many factors; Practice D3740 provides a means of evaluating some of those factors.
5. Apparatus
5.1 Each auger section of the hollow-stem auger-column assembly consists of a cylindrical tube with continuous helical
flighting rigidly attached to the outer surface of the tube (see Fig. 1). The hollow-auger section has a coupling at each end for
attachment of a hollow-auger head to the bottom end of the lead auger section and for attachment of additional auger sections at
the top end to make up the articulated hollow-stem auger column.
NOTE 6—The inside diameter of the hollow-stem auger column is usually selected to provide an opening large enough for insertion of
monitoring-device components such as the screened intake and filter pack and installation devices such as a tremie pipe. When media sampling is
required,needed, the optimum opening should permit easy insertion and retraction of a sampler or core barrel. When a monitoring device is installed, the
annular opening should provide easy insertion of a pipe with an inside diameter large enough for placing completion materials adjacent to the riser.
5.1.1 Hollow-Auger Head, attached to the lead auger of the hollow-auger column and usually contains replaceable,
abrasion-resistant cutters or teeth (see Fig. 1). As the hollow-auger head is rotated, it cuts and directs the cuttings to the auger flights
which convey the cuttings to the surface.
5.1.2 Auger-Drive Assembly, attaches to the uppermost hollow-auger section and transfers rotary power and axial force from the
drill rig to the auger-column assembly.
5.1.3 Pilot Assembly, may consist of: (1) an auger head aperture-plugging device with or without a center cutting head, or (2)
a sampling device that is used to sample simultaneously with advancement of the auger column.
5.1.4 Auxiliary Components of a Hollow-Auger Drilling System, consist of various devices such as auger-connector wrenches,
auger forks, hoisting hooks, and fluid-injection swivels or adapters.
5.2 Drill Rig, used to rotate and advance the auger column. The drill rig should be capable of applying the rated power at a
rotary velocity of 50 to 100 r/min. The drill rig should have a feed stroke of at least the effective length of the auger sections plus
the effective length of the auger couplings plus about 100 mm [4 in.].
D5784/D5784M − 18
NOTE 1—Various pilot assemblies not shown here may vary.
FIG. 1 Sketch Showing Basic Hollow-Stem Auger Components
6. Drilling Procedures
6.1 As a prelude to and throughout the drilling process, stabilize the drill rig and raise the drill-rig drill rig mast. Attach an initial
assembly of hollow-auger components (see Fig. 1) to the rotary drive of the drill rig.
NOTE 7—The drill rig, drilling and sampling tools, the rotary gear or chain case, the spindle, and all components of the rotary drive above the auger
column should be cleaned and decontaminated prior to drilling according to Practice D5088. All lubricated Lubricated rotary gear or chain cases should
be monitored for leaks during drilling. Any lubricants Lubricants used should be documented. Lubricants with organic or metallic constituents that could
be interpreted as contaminants if detected in a soil or water sample should not be used on auger couplings. Any instances Instances of possiblepotential
contamination should be documented.
6.2 Push the auger-column assembly below the ground surface and initiate rotation at a low velocity.
NOTE 8—If surface contamination is suspected, special drilling procedures may be requiredneeded to deter transport of contaminated materials
downhole. For example, the augers and auger head may be removed and cleaned according to Practice D5088 following drilling of the initial increments.
Complete removal of the augers from a boring may allow caving and cross contamination of materials (especially below the water table). When augers
are reinserted, attempts should be made to note if caving or sloughing, or both, has occurred in the borehole and the information documented.
6.3 Continue drilling, usually at a rotary velocity of about 50 to 100 r/min, and to a depth where intermittent sampling or in
situ testing is required,needed, or until the drive assembly is advanced to within about 0.15 to 0.45 m [6 to 18 in.] of the ground
surface. SoilSoil/sediment sampling is usually accomplished by either of two methods: (1) removing the pilot assembly, if being
used, and inserting and driving a sampler through the hollow stem hollow-stem of the auger column, or (2) using a continuous
sampling device within the lead auger section. In the latter case, the sampler barrel fills with material as the hollow-auger column
is advanced. It should be noted that the pilot assembly and any sampling devices should be cleaned and decontaminated according
to Practice D5088 after each use and prior to reinsertion in the hollow-auger column. Water sampling can also be done through
the hollow-stem augers when using augers with watertight connections to prevent fluid leakage from occurring at the connections:
(1) by allowing the auger column to fill with water through the use of a screened lead auger section; (2) by allowing the auger
column to fill from the bottom; (3) by using a soil-penetrating water sampling device that can be lowered into the hollow-auger
column and either driven, rotated, or pushed out through the bottom or lead auger into the undisturbed material below the auger
head.
NOTE 9—Under some circumstances it may be effective to drill without using a pilot assembly. If a pilot assembly is not used, however, and water
is not injected into the auger column simultaneously with advancement, material will often enter the hollow stem hollow-stem of the auger column. The
addition of water to the auger column during drilling may deter material entrance but, on the other hand, may also affect both the mechanical and chemical
characteristics of soilsoil/sediment samples and the quality of water samples. Therefore, if water is added and the chemistry determined, the approximate
volume(s) ad
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