ASTM D6907-22

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Designation: D6907 − 05 (Reapproved 2016) D6907 − 22
Standard Practice for
Sampling Soils and Contaminated Media with Hand-
Operated Bucket Augers
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6907; 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 Scope*
1.1 This practice describes the procedures and equipment used to collect surface and subsurface soil and contaminated media
samples for chemical analysis using a hand-operated bucket auger (hereafter(sometimes referred to as a bucket auger; sometimes
referred to as a barrel auger). Several types of bucket augers exist and are designed for sampling various types of soil. All bucket
augers collect disturbed samples, but bucket samples. Bucket augers can also be used to auger to the desired sampling depth and
then, using a core-type sampler, collect a relatively undisturbed sample.sample suitable for chemical analysis.
1.2 This practice does not cover the use of large (12-in. 300 mm or greater diameter)diameter bucket augers mechanically operated
by large drill rigs or similar equipment, such as those described in Practice D1452D1452/D1452M, section 3.2.4.paragraph 5.2.4.
Practice D1452/D1452M on auger borings refers to this hand auger included in Practice D6907 as a barrel auger.
1.3 Refer to Guides D4700 and D6232The term for information on other hand samplers. The bucket auger is used to differentiate
this type of hand operated auger from others of the solid or hollow stem types thatoften used for shallow surface soil sampling,
but there are many other types of handheld augers, flight, screw, rotary powered, and agricultural push tube samplers. Practice
D1452/D1452M are also hand held or operated.addresses larger powered solid stem flight auger systems.
1.4 This standard does not address soil samples obtained with mechanical drilling, direct push, and sonic machines (refer to Guides
D6286/D6286M and D6169/D6169M) or for collecting cores from submerged sediments (Guide D4823).
1.5 This practice does not address sampling objectives (see Practice D5792), general sample planning (see Guide D4687), and
sampling design (for example, where to collect samples and what depth to sample [see(see Guide D6044]), sampling)). Sampling
for volatile organic compounds (see Guide D4547), equipment cleaning and decontamination (see Practice D5088), sample
handling after collection such as compositing and subsampling (see Guide D6051), and sample preservation. Forpreservation
(Guide D4220/D4220Minformation on other types of augers, see Practice ) are used in this standard.D1452 and Guide D4700.
1.6 Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
standard. All observed and calculated values shall conform to the guidelines for significant digits and rounding established in
Practice D6026. Reporting of test results in units other than SI shall not be regarded as nonconformance with this standard.
1.7 This practice offers a set of instructions for performing one or more specific operations. This document cannot replace
education or experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgment. Not all aspects of this practice may be
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D34 on Waste Management and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D34.01.03 on Sampling
Equipment.
Current edition approved Oct. 15, 2016May 15, 2022. Published October 2016May 2022. Originally approved in 2005. Last previous edition approved in 20102016 as
D6907 – 05 (2010).(2016). DOI: 10.1520/D6907-05R16.10.1520/D6907-22.
*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
D6907 − 22
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.
1.8 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.
1.9 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:
D1452D1452/D1452M Practice for Soil Exploration and Sampling by Auger Borings
D2488 Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedures)
D4220/D4220M Practices for Preserving and Transporting Soil Samples
D4547 Guide for Sampling Waste and Soils for Volatile Organic Compounds
D4687 Guide for General Planning of Waste Sampling
D4700 Guide for Soil Sampling from the Vadose Zone
D4823 Guide for Core Sampling Submerged, Unconsolidated Sediments
D5088 Practice for Decontamination of Field Equipment Used at Waste Sites
D5283 Practice for Generation of Environmental Data Related to Waste Management Activities: Quality Assurance and Quality
Control Planning and Implementation
D5434 Guide for Field Logging of Subsurface Explorations of Soil and Rock (Withdrawn 2021)
D5681 Terminology for Waste and Waste Management
D5792 Practice for Generation of Environmental Data Related to Waste Management Activities: Development of Data Quality
Objectives
D6026 Practice for Using Significant Digits and Data Records in Geotechnical Data
D6044 Guide for Representative Sampling for Management of Waste and Contaminated Media
D6051 Guide for Composite Sampling and Field Subsampling for Environmental Waste Management Activities
D6169/D6169M Guide for Selection of Subsurface Soil and Rock Sampling Devices for Environmental and Geotechnical
Investigations
D6232 Guide for Selection of Sampling Equipment for Waste and Contaminated Media Data Collection Activities
D6282 Guide for Direct Push Soil Sampling for Environmental Site Characterizations
D6286D6286/D6286M Guide for Selection of Drilling and Direct Push Methods for Geotechnical and Environmental
Subsurface Site Characterization
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions—Except where noted, all terms and symbols in this practice are inFor definitions of terms used in this standard,
see Terminology D5681accordance with the following publications. In order of consideration they are:.
3.1.1 Terminology D5681 for Waste and Waste Management,
3.1.2 Compilation of ASTM Standard Terminology, and
3.1.3 Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary.
4. Summary of Practice
4.1 Typically, bucket augers are tubular devices with cutting bits on the bottom that are pushed and twisted into the media and
removed when the tubular “bucket” section is full. The borehole bore hole is advanced one bucket at a time. The practical depth
of investigation using a bucket auger is related to the material being sampled.
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volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced on www.astm.org.
D6907 − 22
4.2 When a sampling interval starting at the surface is to be sampled, the same auger can be used to collect all materials to the
bottom of the interval. However, if discrete grab samples are to be collected to characterize multiple depths or a depth interval
commences below the surface, a clean bucket auger or drive tube sampler should be used to collect the sample. The top material
in a bucket should generally be discarded to minimize chances of cross-contamination of the sample from material that sloughs
from the borehole bore hole wall.
4.3 AllBucket augers collect disturbed samples that are generally not suitable for analysis of volatile organic compounds. A core
or tube-type sampler can be pushed into undisturbed soil at the bottom of an augured hole to collect a relatively undisturbed sample
suitable for chemical analysis.
NOTE 1—Bucket augers may be used to obtain samples of materials containing volatile organic compounds for field screening purposes. A core or tube
type sampler can be pushed into undisturbed soil at the bottom of an augered hole to collect a relatively undisturbed sample suitable for chemical analysis.
5. Significance and Use
5.1 Bucket augers (Fig. 1) are relatively inexpensive, readily available, available in different types depending on the media to be
sampled, and most can be easily operated by one person. They collect a reasonably cylindrical but disturbed sample of surface or
subsurface soil or waste. They are generally not suited for sampling gravelly or coarser soil and are unsuitable for sampling rock.
There are other designs of hand augers, such as the Edelman auger, used to retrieve difficult materials such as waste, sands, peat,
and mud.
5.2 Bucket augers are commonly used equipment because they are inexpensive to operate, especially compared to powered
equipment (that is, direct push and drill rigs). When evaluated against screw augers, augers (Guide D4700), bucket augers generally
collect larger samples with less chance of mixing with soil from shallow depths because the sample is retained within the auger
barrel.bucket. Bucket augers are commonly used to depths of 3 m 3 m but have been used to much greater depths depending upon
the soil or waste characteristics. In general, bucket augers can maintain open holes in unsaturated soils and saturated clay soils
below the water table. Saturated sands will cave below the water table and perched zones and cohesionless dry sands may also
cave. The sampling depth is limited by the force required to rotate the auger and the depth at which the borehole bore hole collapses
(unless bore casings or liners are used).
5.3 Bucket augers may not be suitable for the collection of samples for determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
because the sample is disturbed and exposed to atmosphere during the collection process, which may lead to losses resulting in
a chemically unrepresentative sample.
5.4 If VOC analysis is required, the bucket auger is used to reach the desired sample depth, a planer auger can be used to clean
the base of the hole, and a hammered drive tube sampler (Fig. 2) can be used at the bottom of the hole. Drive tube samplers can
be sealed and capped. Consult Guide D4547 on practices for immediate subsampling of soil cores for VOCs. Drive tubes that are
FIG. 1 Bucket Auger
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FIG. 2 Soil Core Sampler System
not full and contain disturbed material and are exposed to air may not provide accurate VOC data. For the best results, the core
sample can be extruded from the tube and immediately subsampled.
6. Apparatus
6.1 Bucket Augers:
6.1.1 Bucket augers for soil sampling generally consist of a tubular auger head with cutting bits, an extension rod or rods, and
a “T” handle (see Fig. 1). The auger is rotated using the “T” handle until the bucket is full, the device full. The sampler is then
retrieved and emptied, and the process repeated.
6.1.2 The advantages and disadvantages of bucket augers are listed in Table 1.
6.1.3 Bucket augers are generally available with tungsten carbide hard surface carbon steel bits, stainless steel cylinder and carbon
steel bail (shank), or in all stainless steel (see Fig. 1). Several types of bucket augers are described below. In use, bits should be
kept sharp for efficient sampling.
6.1.4 Regular Bucket Auger—Used for ordinary soil and waste sampling and f
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