Identifying Soil. Sand or clay

[Dave D]

Hello. The structural engineer and surveyor believe that the soil is Tunbridge Wells sand. According to apps etc. Which should be good news as is not very shrinkable. I'm digging out a hole for the inspector and I think it's more like clay. Just wondered if anyone on here knows about Tunbridge Wells sand. I can't find much on Google. There's quite a lot of blue/grey in it. Which makes me think it's clay.
Any ideas?
Cheers

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Your inspector will likely know, having stared down numerous holes in your neighbourhood with his hands in his pocket. Give him a buzz, if he is the affable kind.

 

[^woody^]

There are layers of soil and pockets of soil, so unless your engineer and surveyor have the actual details taken from your garden, then their generic belief of Tunbridge Wells soil being all entirely sand is a bit wrong

 

[noseall]

Your inspector will likely know, having stared down numerous holes in your neighbourhood with his hands in his pocket.

Hmm,

There are layers of soil and pockets of soil,

Is there something about the Tunbridge inspectorate you're not telling us....

 

[mikeey84]

It can be quite difficult to tell, and sandy soil can look like clay.

I watched a programme where a civil engineer was able to rub soil on his teeth and could tell whether it was clay or sand based on the grittiness of it. Not sure I'd recommend that!

 

[Dave D]

So... He had a look today. All good it seems. 1 metre trench!!

 

[^woody^]

a civil engineer was able to rub soil on his teeth and could tell whether it was clay or sand based on the grittiness of it. Not sure I'd recommend that!

Don't trust that idiot with designing any steels.

All you do is squeeze some in in your hand, or between fingers, or put it in a bucket of water.

 

[mikeey84]

He was in charge of restraightening (or at least stopping it tipping all the way over) the leaning tower of pisa. Probably showing off for TV

 

[^woody^]

He should stick to pasta

 

[mikeey84]

Probably, although he was British.

https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civi...eers-do/stabilising-the-leaning-tower-of-pisa