ASTM D6151-97

NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
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Designation: D 6151 – 97
Standard Practice for
Using Hollow-Stem Augers for Geotechnical Exploration and
Soil Sampling
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 6151; 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 (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 2. Referenced Documents
1.1 This practice covers how to obtain soil samples using 2.1 ASTM Standards:
hollow-stem sampling systems and use of hollow-stem auger D 420 Guide to Site Characterization for Engineering, De-
drilling methods for geotechnical exploration. This practice sign, and Construction Purposes
addresses how to obtain soil samples suitable for engineering D 653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained
properties testing. Fluids
1.2 In most geotechnical explorations, hollow-stem auger D 2488 Practice for Description and Identification of Soils
drilling is combined with other sampling methods. Split barrel (Visual-Manual Procedure)
penetration tests (Test Method D 1586) are often performed to D 5434 Guide for Field Logging of Subsurface Explora-
provide estimates of engineering properties of soils. Thin-wall tions of Soil and Rock
tube (Practice D 1587) and ring-lined barrel samples (Practice 2.2 Standards for Sampling of Soil and Rock:
D 3550) are also frequently taken. This practice discusses hole D 1452 Practice for Soil Investigation and Sampling by
preparation for these sampling events. For information on the Auger Borings
sampling process, consult the related standards. Other in situ D 1586 Test Method for Penetration Test and Split-Barrel
tests, such as the vane shear Test Method D 2573, can be Sampling of Soils
performed below the base of the boring by access through the D 1587 Practice for Thin-Walled Tube Geotechnical Sam-
drill string. pling of Soils
1.3 This practice does not include considerations for geoen- D 2113 Practice for Diamond Core Drilling for Site Inves-
vironmental site characterizations and installation of monitor- tigation
ing wells which are addressed in Guide D 5784. D 3550 Practice for Ring-Lined Barrel Sampling of Soils
1.4 This practice may not reflect all aspects of operations. It D 4220 Practice for Preserving and Transporting Soil
offers guidance on current practice but does not recommend a Samples
specific course of action. It should not be used as the sole D 4700 Guide for Soil Sampling from the Vadose Zone
criterion or basis of comparison, and does not replace or relieve D 5079 Practices for Preserving and Transporting Rock
professional judgment. Core Samples
1.5 Hollow-stem auger drilling for geotechnical exploration 2.3 In situ Testing:
often involves safety planning, administration, and documen- D 2573 Test Method for Field Vane Shear Test in Cohesive
tation. This standard does not purport to specifically address Soils
exploration and site safety. It is the responsibility of the user of D 3441 Test Method for Deep, Quasi Static, Cone and
this standard to establish appropriate safety and health prac- Friction-Cone Penetration Tests of Soil
tices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations D 4719 Test Method for Pressuremeter Testing in Soils
prior to its use. Performance of the test usually involves use of 2.4 Instrument Installation and Monitoring:
a drill rig, therefore, safety requirements as outlined in appli- D 4428 Test Methods for Crosshole Seismic Testing
cable safety standards, for example OSHA (Occupational D 4750 Test Method for Determining Subsurface Liquid
Health and Safety Administration) regulations, DCDMA safety Levels in a Borehole or Monitoring Well (Observation
2 3
manual (1), drilling safety manuals, and other applicable state Well)
and local regulations must be observed. D 5092 Practice for Design and Installation of Ground
Water Monitoring Wells in Aquifiers
2.5 Drilling Methods:
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-18 on Soil and
D 5784 Guide for the Use of Hollow-Stem Augers for
Rock and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.02 on Sampling and
Related Field Testing for Soil Investigations. Geoenvironmental Exploration and the Installation of
Current edition approved August 10, 1997, Published December 1997.
The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the references at the end of this
practice. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.08.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
D6151–97
Subsurface Water-Quality Monitoring Devices
D 5876 Guide for the Use of Direct Rotary Wireline Casing
Advancement Drilling Methods for Geoenvironmental
Exploration and the Installation of Subsurface Water-
Quality Monitoring Devices
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions: Terminology used within this practice is in
accordance with Terminology D 653 with the addition of the
following (see Figs. 1-5 for typical system components):
3.1.1 auger cutter head—the terminal section of the lead
auger equipped with a hollow cutting head for cutting soil. The
cutter head is connected to the lead auger. The cutter head is
equipped with abrasion-resistant cutting devices, normally
with carbide surfaces. The cutter can be teeth (usually square or
conical), or blades (rectangular or spade design). Cutter head
designs may utilize one style cutter or a combination of cutters.
3.1.2 bit clearance ratio—a ratio, expressed as a percentage
of the difference between the inside diameter of the sampling
tube and the inside diameter of the cutting bit divided by the
inside diameter of the sampling tube.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.09.
FIG. 2 Example of Rod-Type Sampling System
3.1.3 blow-in—(Practice D 5092)—the inflow of groundwa-
ter and unconsolidated material into the borehole or casing
caused by differential hydraulic heads; that is, caused by the
presence of a greater hydraulic head outside the borehole/
casing than inside. Also known as sanding in or soil heave.
3.1.4 clean out depth—the depth to which the end of the
drill string (bit or core barrel cutting end) has reached after an
interval of drilling. The clean out depth (or drilled depth as it
is referred to after cleaning out of any sloughed material or
cuttings in the bottom of the drill hole) is normally recorded to
the nearest 0.1 ft. (0.03 m).
3.1.5 continuous sampling devices—sampling systems
which continuously sample as the drilling progresses. Hollow-
stem sampling systems are often referred to as continuous
samplers because they can be operated in that mode. Hollow-
stem sampling systems are double-tube augers where barrel-
type samplers fit within the lead auger of the hollow auger
column. The double-tube auger operates as a soil coring system
in certain subsurface conditions where the sampler barrel fills
with material as the augers advance. The barrel can be removed
FIG. 1 Rod-Type Auger System With Pilot Bit and replaced during pauses in drilling for continuous coring.
NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
D6151–97
FIG. 3 Example of Wireline Sampling System
3.1.6 double-tube auger—an auger equipped with an inner a screw conveyor to lift cuttings produced by an auger drill
barrel for soil sampling (soil coring). If equipped with an inner head or cutter head bit to the surface.
barrel and liner, the auger system can be described as a 3.1.12 in-hole-hammer—a drop hammer for driving a soil
triple-tube auger. sampling device. The in-hole hammer is designed to run
3.1.7 drill hole—a cylindrical hole advanced into the sub- down-hole within the HSA column. It is usually operated with
surface by mechanical means. Also known as borehole or a free-fall wireline hoist capable of lifting and dropping the
boring. hammer weight to drive the sampler below the HSA column
3.1.8 drill string—the complete drilling assembly under and retrieve the hammer and sampler to the surface. See Fig. 6
rotation including augers, core barrel or pilot bit, drill rods, and 3.1.13 in situ testing devices—sensors or probes, used for
connector subassemblies. Drilling depth is determined by obtaining test data for estimation of engineering properties,
knowledge of the total length of the drill string, and by that are typically pushed, rotated, or driven in advance of the
subtracting the string length above a ground surface datum. hollow auger column assembly at a designated depth or
3.1.9 fluid injection devices—pumps, fittings, hose and pipe advanced simultaneously with advancement of the auger col-
components, or drill rig attachments that may be used to inject umn (see 2.3).
a fluid within a hollow auger column during drilling.
3.1.10 HSA—Hollow stem auger(s). See 3.1.11.
3.1.11 hollow stem auger—a cylindrical hollow tube with a 5
Foremost Mobile, Mobile Drilling Company Inc., 3807 Madison Avenue,
continuous helical fluting/fighting on the outside, which acts as Indianapolis, IN.
NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
D6151–97
FIG. 4 Spindle Adaptor Assembly
3.1.14 intermittent sampling devices—barrel-type samplers barrel into the lead auger assembly.
that may be rotated, driven, or pushed below the auger head at 3.1.16 lead distance—the mechanically adjusted length or
a designated depth prior to advancement of the auger column distance that the inner core barrel cutting shoe is set to extend
(see 2.2). beyond the lead auger assembly cutting head.
3.1.15 lead auger assembly—the first hollow stem auger to 3.1.17 overshot—a latching mechanism located at the end
be advanced into the subsurface. The end of the lead auger of the hoisting line (wireline). It is specially designed to latch
assembly is equipped with a cutter head for cutting. The lead onto or release the pilot bit or core barrel assemblies. It serves
auger may also contain a pilot bit assembly or sample barrel as a lifting device for removing the pilot bit or sampler
assembly housed within the hollow portion of the auger. If a assembly.
wireline system is used, the lead auger assembly will have an 3.1.18 O-ring—a rubber ring for preventing leakage be-
adapter housing on top of the first auger containing a latching tween joining metal connections, such as hollow-stem auger
device for locking the pilot bit assembly or sampling core sections.
NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
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D6151–97
FIG. 5 Example of Drive Case Sampling Through HSA
3.1.19 percent recovery—percentage which indicates the barrel. The pilot bit or core barrel is raised or lowered on a
success of sample retrieval, calculated by dividing the length of wireline cable with an overshot latching device.
sample recovered by the length of sampler advancement.
4. Significance and Use
3.1.20 pilot bit assembly—an assembly designed to attach
to a drill rod or lock into the lead auger assembly for drilling 4.1 Hollow-stem augers are frequently used for geotechni-
without sampling. The pilot bit can have various configurations cal exploration. Often, hollow-stem augers are used with other
(drag bit, roller cone, tooth bit, or combination of designs) to sampling systems, such as split barrel penetration resistance
aid in more efficient or rapid hole advancement. testing, Test Method D 1586, or thin-wall tube sampling,
3.1.21 recovery length—the length of sample actually re- Practice D 1587 (see 2.5). Hollow-stem augers may be used to
trieved during the sampling operation. advance a drill hole without sampling using a pilot bit
3.1.22 sanding in—a condition that occurs when sand or silt assembly, or they may be equipped with a sampling system for
obtaining soil cores. In some subsurface conditions that contain
enters the auger after removal of the pilot bit or sampling
barrel. See blow-in. Sanding in can occur from hydrostatic cohesive soils, the drillhole can be successfully advanced
without the use of a pilot bit assembly. Intermittent drilling
imbalance or by suction forces caused by removal of the pilot
bit or sampling barrel. (advancing of the HSA column with or without a pilot bit) and
3.1.23 slough—the disturbed material left in the bottom of sampling can be performed depending on the intervals to be
the borehole, usually from falling off the side of the borehole, sampled, or continuous sampling can be performed. During
or falling out of the sampler, or off of the auger. pauses in the drilling and sampling process, in situ testing or
3.1.24 soil coring, hollow-stem—The drilling process of other soil sampling methods can be performed through the
using a double-tube HSA system to intermittently or continu- hollow auger column below the lead auger assembly. At
ously sample the subsurface material (soil). completion of the boring to the depth of interest, the hole may
3.1.25 wireline drilling, hollow-stem—a rotary drilling pro- be abandoned or testing or monitoring devices can be installed.
cess using a lead auger which holds a pilot bit or sampling Hollow-stem auger drilling allows for drilling and casing the
barrel delivered and removed by wireline hoisting. Latching hole simultaneously, thereby eliminating hole caving problems
assemblies are used to lock or unlock the pilot bit or sampler and contamination of soil samples (2). The hollow-stem auger
NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
D6151–97
FIG. 6 In-Hole-Hammer and Conventional Drive Hammer
drilling and sampling method can be a satisfactory means for little disturbance to the sample and can provide samples for
collecting samples of shallow unconsolidated subsurface ma- laboratory tests for measurement of selected engineering prop-
terials (2). Additional guidance on use can be found in Refs. 2, erties. Large-diameter soil cores, if taken carefully, can provide
3, 4, 5, 6. Class C and D
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