ASTM D1586-99

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Designation: D 1586 – 99
Standard Test Method for
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Penetration Test and Split-Barrel Sampling of Soils
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 1586; 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.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope* 3.1.1 anvil—that portion of the drive-weight assembly
which the hammer strikes and through which the hammer
1.1 This test method describes the procedure, generally
energy passes into the drill rods.
known as the Standard Penetration Test (SPT), for driving a
3.1.2 cathead—the rotating drum or windlass in the rope-
split-barrel sampler to obtain a representative soil sample and
cathead lift system around which the operator wraps a rope to
a measure of the resistance of the soil to penetration of the
lift and drop the hammer by successively tightening and
sampler.
loosening the rope turns around the drum.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the
3.1.3 drill rods—rods used to transmit downward force and
safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the
torque to the drill bit while drilling a borehole.
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
3.1.4 drive-weight assembly—a device consisting of the
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
hammer, hammer fall guide, the anvil, and any hammer drop
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. For a specific
system.
precautionary statement, see 5.4.1.
3.1.5 hammer—that portion of the drive-weight assembly
1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded
consisting of the 140 6 2 lb (63.5 6 1 kg) impact weight
as the standard.
which is successively lifted and dropped to provide the energy
NOTE 1—Practice D 6066 can be used when testing loose sands below
that accomplishes the sampling and penetration.
the water table for liquefaction studies or when a higher level of care is
3.1.6 hammer drop system—that portion of the drive-weight
required when drilling these soils. This practice provides information on
assembly by which the operator accomplishes the lifting and
drillingmethods,equipmentvariables,energycorrections,andblow-count
dropping of the hammer to produce the blow.
normalization.
3.1.7 hammer fall guide—that part of the drive-weight
2. Referenced Documents
assembly used to guide the fall of the hammer.
3.1.8 N-value—theblowcountrepresentationofthepenetra-
2.1 ASTM Standards:
tion resistance of the soil. The N-value, reported in blows per
D 2487 Practice for Classification of Soils for Engineering
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foot, equals the sum of the number of blows required to drive
Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System)
the sampler over the depth interval of 6 to 18 in. (150 to 450
D 2488 Practice for Description and Identification of Soils
2
mm) (see 7.3).
(Visual-Manual Procedure)
3.1.9 DN—the number of blows obtained from each of the
D 4220 Practices for Preserving and Transporting Soil
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6-in. (150-mm) intervals of sampler penetration (see 7.3).
Samples
3.1.10 number of rope turns—the total contact angle be-
D 4633 Test Method for Stress Wave Energy Measurement
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tween the rope and the cathead at the beginning of the
for Dynamic Penetrometer Testing Systems
operator’s rope slackening to drop the hammer, divided by
D 6066 Practice for Determining the Normalized Penetra-
360° (see Fig. 1).
tion Resistance Testing of Sands for Evaluation of Lique-
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3.1.11 sampling rods—rods that connect the drive-weight
faction Potential
assembly to the sampler. Drill rods are often used for this
3. Terminology
purpose.
3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard: 3.1.12 SPT—abbreviation for standard penetration test, a
term by which engineers commonly refer to this method.
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This method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D18 on Soil and
4. Significance and Use
Rock and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.02 on Sampling and
4.1 This test method provides a soil sample for identifica-
Related Field Testing for Soil Evaluations.
Current edition approved Jan. 10, 1999. Published March 1999. Originally
tion purposes and for laboratory tests appropriate for soil
published as D 1586 – 58 T. Last previous edition D 1586 – 98.
obtained from a sampler that may produce large shear strain
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Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.08.
3 disturbance in the sample.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.09.
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard.
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