Soil samples

[Andymacp]

Hi

I have to take a soil sample a clients house. Can someone send me a good link or talk me through it. I have had a good search on the net but not getting anywhere.

Many thanks in advance.

 

Andy

[richy_B]

How scientific are you going?

[sloth]

What event, or who, has requested the sample, and why?

 

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Arbtalk mobile app

[Andymacp]

No too scientific, just fairly basic needed.

[Luckyleaf]

Soil type, pH and compaction levels ?

[Andymacp]

Pretty much, also any indicators of poisons or harmful stuff

[richy_B]

I think what you need to do varies massively depending on what your end goal is. I was working on a project where a new wetland was being built and the material was being re-used on a landscaping project on a nearby site. We were required to get a serious amount of detail for EA approval to excavate and remove soil. I cannot remember exactly but the requirement was something like 12 tests all at different depths (up to 2.5 metres) and then laboratory testing.

 

It might not be useful for what you are doing but I read through this (or something similar, it was a while back) and found out quite a bit of useful stuff.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69308/pb13298-code-of-practice-090910.pdf

[Luckyleaf]

Even if you are going to conduct a simple test for instance planting trees for your customer, you are going to need some equipment such as

pH test kit for soil and a Compaction test metre, take 5 tests across the subject area in a W shape testing at all points for :-

 

Soil type

pH

Compaction

 

If you really want to push the boat out look up Atterberg limits with regards to clay soils and plastic and liquid limits.

 

You might need a microscope for the 'nasty' stuff and a microbiologist to interpret the findings

[daltontrees]

No too scientific, just fairly basic needed.

 

Unless you say why it's needed, no-one can give you basic advice. maybe you just need to take an auger sample and report that yes it is soil and not bricks or rock and that it is loam/clay/sandy loam etc. and what depth you went to.

 

Some of the most meaningful results per £ I have had have been obtained by half filling a glass bottle with the 'soil' and topping up with water then shaking like hell and leaving it to stand for a few hours. Layers will form and give an idea of how much clay, silt and soil and organics. It's a doddle to take a pH test of the reamining water with litmus paper. The main thing then you are missig is mineral content, and particularly nitrogen. There's a simpe test for that too, but I'm not going to waste time explaining it in case its' more than you need.

[Andymacp]

It's a part of a large garden where a few trees and some roddies have died back.

I do realise there could be a thousand reasons for this but they asked if I could do a soil sample so I will.