Polish standards concerning field investigation with the use of a Weight Sounding Test (WST) probe give interpretation of results for non-cohesive soils only. The lack of such interpretation for cohesive soils excludes this testing equipment from use. This paper presents the results of geotechnical site investigation and laboratory tests performed for Miocene clays in Carpathian Foredeep in the Cracow area. Based on the analysis of the results a correlation was determined between the characteristic values for the WST probe (number of half-turns N WST ) and the selected properties of Miocene clays. The article is an attempt to create a complete interpretation of test results obtained for cohesive soil with WST equipment.

This article concerns the assessment of selected physical and mechanical properties of a dump soil. The dump soil is a specific soil with a very heterogeneous internal structure. Next to each other, there may be lumps and crumbs of cohesive soils mixed with non-cohesive soils accompanied by a very diverse admixture of organic substance. In addition, the soil in the waste dump, in spatial terms, may significantly differ in consistency and density. This is the result of the process of forming a dump soil, which takes place in three stages: excavation, transport and dumping. A heterogeneous soil deposited within the waste dump is subject to further processes: consolidation, compaction and creeping. Changes occurring in the course of these processes have a significant impact on the development of the properties of the dump soil.Due to the large diversity of the tested soils, the results of their properties were divided into two groups, based on type and consistency of soil. This allows us to estimate the selected properties of the dump soil only on the basis of their macroscopic analysis.

Soil strength parameters needed for the calculation of bearing capacity and stability are increasingly determined from field testing. This paper presents a method to determine the undrained shear strength c uWST of the soil, based on the Weight Sounding Test (WST). The innovative solution which allows for a significant reduction of equipment needed for geotechnical field investigation is presented. The proposed method is based on an additional measurement of the torque during testing. It then becomes possible to estimate the undrained shear strength, c uWST of the soil, using the correlation given in this paper. The research results presented in this paper were carried out on selected cohesive soils, Miocene clays from the Carpathian Foredeep.

The paper evaluates the effectiveness of reinforcing a damaged earth structure with making counterfort drains in its slope. The system of counterfort drains changed the soil properties significantly over a long-term use. The evaluation was based on many years of field and laboratory tests and stability analysis. The field tests concerned the observation of N WST probing resistance change, and the laboratory tests concerned the change in soil consistency and water content. The paper presents the results of tests that were conducted over 13 years.

Research on the physical properties of rock materials and aggregates used for construction should be based on standardized methods. Whereas scientific research is focused more on the development of new methods, testing and evaluation of new properties, etc. In case of own testing procedures and standardized but modified methods, they should be validated before being put into use. Validation is the confirmation of the ability to designate that method and tests its usefulness. In order to investigate the method's possibilities, the following assessment methods can be used: calibration or precision evaluation using reference standards or reference materials, systematic evaluation of factors affecting the result, resistance of the test method to variability of controlled parameters, comparison of test results obtained by various methods, inter-laboratory comparisons, and uncertainty of measurement. The paper presents mathematical formulas allowing to evaluate the precision of research methods and the consistency of results, which are the basis for validation of research methods. In the practical part of the article, own method of apparent density testing, was validated based on the analysis of repeatability, internal laboratory reproducibility and between laboratory reproducibility.