Scala Penetrometer from Groundtest Equipment.

	Scala Penetrometer Kit in Bag
	Kits with 800mm or 1 Metre probe rod include:
	1. Handle 2. Drop-weight 3. Guide rod 4. Anvil	5. Probe rod 6. Cone 7. Bag

Scala kit to 800mm: $425.

This is our most popular Scala penetrometer kit. Further 800mm extension rods are available. They are numbered in sequence, i.e. measurements are stamped on the rods so users do not need to have a tape measure for testing.
All our Scala rods have graduations marked on them.

Scala kit to 1 Metre: $446.

Also popular. Further 1M extension rods are readily available.

Accessories & Spares

Or select individual parts for your custom kit or spares from the detailed price list.
A variety of extra-long probe rods are also available, e.g. to 1.5M, for quick testing without adding extra rods.

See the parts/prices list for complete details.

We normally have kits and all parts in stock and dispatch same-day (or next day for afternoon orders).

See below for a quick parts and prices reference, or click here for the detailed price list.

Scala Penetrometer Hire.

You can hire a penetrometer kit from us for $60 a day, or arrange a longer term hire at a reasonable rate.

Service.

We service and support all the equipment we sell.
When it is practical, we will get a damaged Scala kit back into service as cheaply as possible, e.g. by straightening rods, getting broken thread out of handles, loosening seized-up rods and anvils etc.

Technical Background and References

The Scala Penetrometer was developed by A. J. Scala, who presented his first paper at the Second Australia-New Zealand Soil Mechanics Conference in 1956. His aim was to develop a simple in-situ test for pavement subgrade which would have good correlation with California Bearing Ratio, CBR.

Since then this test method has become very popular: the Country Roads Board (Victoria) in Australia produced Test Method CRB 402.01, and Standards New Zealand produced NZS 4402 Test 6.5.2:1998.

In addition the Building Research Association of New Zealand Information Bulletin 212, Feb 1979 explains the use of the Scala Penetrometer to establish whether the safe bearing pressure of the soil under a light building is adequate. This paper is based on the work of M. J. Stockwell from the Christchurch City Council, reported in his article Determination of Allowable Bearing Pressure Under Small Structures published in NZ Engineering, June 1977.

The result of all this work is that the Scala Penetrometer is now widely used in foundation checking for small buildings and in road construction. The initial research focused on clays and silty clays but further work has extended its usefulness to sands as well.

The Scala penetrometer offers users these main advantages:

Inexpensive: $425 for a basic kit.
Very Portable: total weight less than 15Kg
Quick: testing takes a few minutes
Versatile: Can penetrate down to 6 metres or more with extension rods
Correlates with CBR. This saves users from requiring laboratory testing

The most significant disadvantage is that, with the penetrometer relying on impact to drive the cone, under heavy use parts can wear or break and need to be replaced.

It therefore pays to have spares of critical components so that testing can continue in the event of a failure.

Also, the penetrometer parts can be saved from unnecessary wear if operators use a penetrometer extractor instead of using the weight to back-hammer the probe out of the ground.

Click here to email us for enquiries or ordering.

Quick Parts Reference
	Handle: $30
	Drop-weight: $122
	Guide Rod: high tensile steel $28
	Anvil: $79
	Probe Rod: $67
	Cone: hardened steel $30

Click here to email us for enquiries or ordering.

Page last updated Monday, 11th August 2008
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