Which type of soil sample is typically a cylindrical piece obtained from a test boring?

Which type of soil sample is typically a cylindrical piece obtained from a test boring?

• A. Drill cuttings
• B. Soil samples
• C. Core samples
• D. Bulk samples

Answer: (C)

Coring retrieves a cylindrical section of soil from a test boring. This cylindrical piece—called a core—is pulled up intact so engineers can study the soil’s natural layering, density, moisture, and strength with depth. The core is obtained with a core barrel that cleanly cuts and retains the soil as the drill advances, giving a continuous sample from a specific depth interval. Drill cuttings are simply loose fragments produced by drilling and don’t provide a single, intact cylinder. A general soil sample or a bulk sample isn’t defined by a cylindrical shape or depth-specific continuity, so they don’t fit the description used in test borings.

Coring retrieves a cylindrical section of soil from a test boring. This cylindrical piece—called a core—is pulled up intact so engineers can study the soil’s natural layering, density, moisture, and strength with depth. The core is obtained with a core barrel that cleanly cuts and retains the soil as the drill advances, giving a continuous sample from a specific depth interval. Drill cuttings are simply loose fragments produced by drilling and don’t provide a single, intact cylinder. A general soil sample or a bulk sample isn’t defined by a cylindrical shape or depth-specific continuity, so they don’t fit the description used in test borings.