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Establish characteristics of soils for engineering purposes

Level / 4
Credits / 9

PurposePeople credited with this unit standard are able to: prepare a soil testing programme; carry out site investigations including drilling and sampling methods; prepare and maintain field records of testing and observations; evaluate soil performance characteristics at project sites; take soil samples; complete laboratory testing of soil samples; and comply with site safety requirements.

Subfield / Civil Engineering
Domain / Civil Engineering - Generic
Status / Registered
Status date / 24 February 1998
Date version published / 18 December 2006
Planned review date / 31 December 2008
Entry information / Open.
Accreditation / Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and industry.
Standard setting body (SSB) / Infrastructure ITO
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference / 0101

This AMAP can be accessed at

Special notes

1The credit value for this unit standard has been calculated on the basis that people seeking credit have acquired knowledge and understanding of the engineering principles involved.

2Reference documents and standards relevant to this unit standard include but are not limited to: Guideline for the Field Classification and Description of Soil and Rock for Engineering Purposes,New Zealand Geotechnical Society, December 2005; BS 5930:1999 Code of practice for site investigations (partially replaced by BS EN ISO 14688-2:2004 Geotechnical investigation and testing. Identification and classification of soil. Principles for a classification); NZS 4402:1TO7:1986 Methods of testing soils for civil engineering purposes – Soil Tests.

3The following apply to the performance of all elements in this unit standard:

aall activities are to be completed and reported within agreed timeframes and delegated authority;

ball work practices must meet worksite’s documented quality management requirements. This includes documentation of activities, events, assumptions, and decisions;

call communications must be made in accordance with the organisation’s documented procedures for content, recipient, timing, and method;

dall activities must comply with any policies, procedures, and requirements of the organisations involved; the ethical codes and standards relevant to professional bodies; and any relevant cultural, legislative and/or regulatory requirements, which can include but are not limited to: the Treaty of Waitangi, Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, Resource Management Act 1991, Building Act 2004, Copyright Act 1994, Contracts Enforcement Act 1956, and their subsequent amendments and regulations.

Elements and performance criteria

Element 1

Prepare a soil testing programme.

Performance criteria

1.1Programme requirements are established in accordance with organisation’s requirements, BS 5930:1999, and geotechnical field notes.

Rangepreliminary plans, site layout and conditions, scope, budget, equipment, personnel, contingency plan.

1.2Positions and levels of soils investigation are located in accordance with design requirements.

Rangethree dimensions.

1.3Resource management consents are obtained in accordance with controlling authority requirements.

Element 2

Carry out site investigations including drilling and sampling methods.

Performance criteria

2.1Site investigations are carried out using equipment specified by the project manager and in accordance with NZS 4402.1TO7:1986 and BS 5930:1999.

2.2Equipment is operated in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations, NZS 4402.1TO7:1986 and BS 5930:1999.

Rangehand auger, scala penetrometer, shear vane, cone penetration test, piezometer.

2.3Operation of equipment is supervised to ensure that samples and records are obtained as required by the project manager.

Rangeexcavator, motorised drilling rig.

Element 3

Prepare and maintain field records of testing and observations.

Performance criteria

3.1Field testing and observations are recorded in accordance with organisation’s requirements.

Element 4

Evaluate soil performance characteristics at project sites.

Performance criteria

4.1Site soils are classified in accordance with organisation’s requirements.

4.2Soil performance at project site is evaluated in accordance with soil classification and project requirements.

Element 5

Take soil samples.

Performance criteria

5.1Samples are collected as specified by the project manager.

5.2Samples are stored and transported as specified in Geotechnical Field Notes.

Element 6

Complete laboratory testing of soil samples.

Performance criteria

6.1Soils are classified, based on laboratory test results in accordance with the requirements of NZS 4402.

Rangeincluding but not limited to – unconfined compressive strength, compaction, grading by sieve analysis, plasticity, solid density, water content, pH analysis.

Element 7

Comply with site safety requirements.

Performance criteria

7.1All operations are carried out in accordance with site safety plan and legislative requirements.

Please note

Providers must be accredited by the Qualifications Authority, or an inter-institutional body with delegated authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.

Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by the Qualifications Authority before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.

Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.

Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.

Comments on this unit standard

Please contact Infrastructure you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.

 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018