Designation:D5730–04StandardGuideforSiteCharacterizationforEnvironmentalPurposesWithEmphasisonSoil,Rock,theVadoseZoneandGroundWater1ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationD5730;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(e)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.INTRODUCTIONThisguidecoverstheselectionofthevariousASTMStandardsthatareavailablefortheinvestigationofsoil,rock,thevadosezone,groundwater,andothermediawheretheinvestigationshaveanenvironmentalpurpose.2Itisintendedtoimproveconsistencyofpracticeandtoencouragerationalplanningofasitecharacterizationprogrambyprovidingachecklisttoassistinthedesignofanenvironmentalreconnaissance/investigationplan.Thesubsurfaceconditionsataparticularsiteareusuallytheresultofacombinationofnaturalgeologic,topographic,hydrologic,andclimaticfactors,andofhistoricalmodificationsbothnaturalandmanmade.Anadequateandinternallyconsistentsitecharacterizationprogramwillallowevaluationoftheresultsoftheseinfluences.Sitecharacterizationforengineering,design,andconstructionpurposesareaddressedinaseparateguide,GuideD420.Theunderstandingofenvironmentalprocessesoccurringinsoilandrocksystemsdependsonadequatecharacterizationofphysical,chemical,andbiologicalpropertiesofsoilandrock.Processesofinterestmayinclude,butarenotlimitedto,surfaceandsubsurfacehydrology,contaminantmobilization,distribution,fateandtransport;chemicalandbiologicaldegradationofwastes;andgeomorphological/ecologicalprocesses.Althoughthisguidefocussesprimarilyoncharacterizationofsoilandrock,itisunderstoodthatclimaticandbioticfactorsmayalsobeimportantinunderstandingenvironmentalprocessesinsoilandrocksystems.1.Scope1.1Thisguidecoversageneralapproachtoplanningfieldinvestigationsthatisusefulforanytypeofenvironmentalinvestigationwithaprimaryfocusonthesubsurfaceandmajorfactorsaffectingthesurfaceandsubsurfaceenvironment.Ge...
