DIN 19662:2012-07

This standard defines an in-situ method for the determination of soil penetration resistance using a hand held penetrometer on selected locations within the investigated site. Due to the low technical effort and promptness of the procedure, as well as the high spatial resolution it provides, the hand held penetrometer is well suited for the identification of homogenic soils, as well as local or areal differences in soil consistency for up up to 2 m in depth. Due to the manifold interdependencies of penetration resistance measurements to the soil's characteristics, the hand held penetrometer is mainly applied for: a) comparative measurements of soils, that can be assumed to have a one-factorial impact; e. g. measurements taken from soils before and after they have been driven on, before and after irrigation, before and after cultivation; b) prospecting geophysical inhomogeneities; e. g. when searching for cohesive layers, gravel underneath loam layers, or when assessing the thickness of skeletal-depleted granular soil on top of bedrock; c) initial ratings of soils after they have been driven on with heavy machinery, as well as assessments of construction sites; d) quality control of artificial soil agglomeration, lawns, and sporting fields; land reclamation with vast amounts of soil, as required in open-cast mining; e) assessing soil characteristics that correlate with penetration resistance.