Section 27-682. Procedure

(a) Preparations. (1) A sketch showing the layout,
  levels,  number of tests, details of test apparatus, and test procedures
  shall be filed with the commissioner before conducting such  tests.  The
  sketch shall also include the locations and levels of the proposed tests
  in relation to the contemplated foundation levels as well as the logs of
  borings that have been made for the building or buildings involved.
    (2)  The  tests  shall  be  made  at  the  levels contemplated for the
  proposed building footings, and in at least  two  locations  within  the
  limits  of  the  building  area.  The  surfaces  at the locations of the
  proposed tests shall be leveled at the elevations of the  proposed  test
  for a clear distance of at least five feet all around the test plate.
    (3) The loaded area shall be square and at least twenty-four inches by
  twenty-four inches.
    (4)  When  load  tests  are performed on materials affected by drying,
  suitable methods shall be used to prevent evaporation from the material.
    (5) In the event ground water is present  immediatley  below,  at,  or
  above  the  level  required to be tested, dewatering facilities shall be
  installed to maintain ground water a minimum  of  four  feet  below  the
  level  of the test plate during the preparation and duration of the test
  or tests.
    (6) Trenches and other provisions at the ground surface shall be  made
  to  prevent  inflow  of surface water and to remove water that may drain
  into the test area. The entire test  area  shall  be  protected  against
  weather and rainfall for the entire duration of the test.
    (7) The load platform providing the support for the test load shall be
  supported  on  adequate  timber cribbing, which shall not be closer than
  five feet from the edge of the test plate.
    (8) The plate on which the loads are applied shall be of steel  having
  a  minimum  thickness  of  two inches and shall be set and centered in a
  depression in the bottom of the pit or loading area about thirty  inches
  square for a twenty-four inch by twenty-four inch plate and eight inches
  deep.  The  area on which the plate is placed shall be scraped to remove
  any disturbed soil. The area to be tested shall be covered with  a  thin
  layer  of  fine  clean  sand  that shall be smoothed and leveled until a
  completely level surface for placing the test plate is obtained.
    (9) Settlement observations shall be made  at  four  corners  of  test
  plate  by  means  of dial extensometers. The extensometers shall provide
  readings to the nearest 0.001 in. In addition,  settlement  observations
  shall  be taken using an engineer's level reading to 0.001 ft., properly
  referenced to a well-established benchmark.
    (10)  All  tests  shall  be  made  under  the  surveillance   of   the
  commissioner,  who shall be duly notified in order that he or she may be
  represented.
    (b) Loading of the soil.
    (1) Loads shall be applied to the test plate by direct  weight  or  by
  means  of  a  hydraulic  jack.  The  loading  platform  or  box shall be
  constructed to provide a concentric load on the plate. If direct  weight
  is  employed,  the loading increments shall be applied without impact or
  jar.
    The weight of the  blocking  placed  on  the  plate  and  the  loading
  platform  or  box  shall  be  obtained prior to the test and this weight
  shall be considered as the first increment of load. If a hydraulic  jack
  is  employed,  facilities for maintaining each increment of desired load
  constant under increasing settlement shall be provided.  The  gauge  for
  the  jack  and  the jack shall be calibrated as a unit not more than two
  weeks prior to the test.
    (2) The unit intensity of the test load  shall  be  one  and  one-half
  times  the  unit  intensity of the loading proposed to be imposed on the

  soil by the design loads. The test load shall be applied in a minimum of
  six increments  at  twenty-five  percent,  fifty  percent,  seventy-five
  percent,  one  hundred percent, one hundred twenty-five percent, and one
  hundred  fifty percent of the proposed working load. Each load increment
  shall be maintained for a length of time as follows:
    a. At the proposed loading and at one hundred fifty  percent  of  load
  until the settlement is less than 0.005 in. over a period of twenty-four
  hours.
    b. At other loadings until the settlement is 0.001 in. or less, over a
  period of five minutes.
    (3)  Under  each load increment, settlement observations shall be made
  and recorded at intervals of one-half minute, one minute, four  minutes,
  and  each  four  minutes  thereafter after application of load increment
  except in the instance of the working load and one hundred fifty percent
  of working load where, after the four minute reading, the time  interval
  shall  be  doubled successively until the final settlement limitation is
  reached and the load is increased or removed.
    (4) After the test load and limiting rate of settlement under the test
  load is reached, loads shall be removed in not  less  than  three  equal
  increments  and  rebound observations made in the same manner as for the
  loading increments. The final  rebound  shall  be  recorded  twenty-four
  hours after the entire test load has been removed.
    (c) Determination of results.
    (1)  Subject  to  the limitations designated in section 27-681 of this
  article, the soil load test for soils of classes 5-65 through 8-65 shall
  be considered as tentatively substantiating the ability of the  soil  to
  support  the  proposed unit intensity of loading if the gross settlement
  of the test plate under the proposed unit intensity of loading does  not
  exceed  one-half  inch  and  the  total gross settlement after the fifty
  percent overload is applied does not exceed  one  inch.  This  tentative
  substantiation  shall  be  supported  by  a  report  by the architect or
  engineer on the correlation of the behavior of  the  load  test  to  the
  probable  behavior  of  the full size building. The proposed design load
  shall be considered as acceptable only upon written  acceptance  by  the
  commissioner.
    (2)  For  soils  of  classes  9-65 and 10-65, the soil load test alone
  shall not be considered as evidence of allowable bearing capacity of the
  soil, but the data so obtained may be utilized to establish an allowable
  bearing capacity subject to the provisions of section 27-677 and  27-678
  of article four of this subchapter.
    (3)  In  the  event that it is desired to conduct load tests on square
  areas larger than  the  minimum  stipulated  above,  permission  may  be
  granted  provided notice of such increase in area is properly filed with
  the test information required to be submitted to the  commissioner.  The
  limiting   gross   settlements  stipulated  in  paragraph  one  of  this
  subdivision shall be increased in relation to the increase in  width  of
  test plate in accordance with the following formula:
 
                         S = (9S{1}/16)(2B/B + 1){2}
  where: S = settlement of the larger loaded area (in.)
         S{1}  = permissible settlement of twenty-four inch by twenty-four
                  inch loaded area, as specified in paragraph one of  this
                  subdivision (in.)
         B = side dimension of square plate used for test (ft.).