FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY


 ii. Atterberg limits.

 iii. Percent natural moisture content.

 iv. Gradation (grain-size) distribution information, including the
 fraction smaller than the 200-mesh U.S. Standard sieve.

 v. It is recommended that the fraction smaller than the 200 mesh
 sieve should be determined to identify the percent silt and clay, and
 that a hydrometer test, or equivalent, be conducted to determine the
 percent smaller than 2 microns.

 vi. If shrink / swell clays are suspected, an appropriate mineralogy test
 should be conducted. Typically this would be an x-ray diffraction
 interpretation. Alternatively elemental / chemical analysis also has
 use in this regard.

 b. If organic-rich soils are suspected or detected within the exploration depth,
 the natural moisture content and percent organic should be determined on
 representative samples. If "peat" is recovered, then a grain size
 distribution and composition description should be carried out on such
 samples.

 c. If debris, including natural wood fragments and construction debris, is
 detected and considered a possible cause of the damage, there is no need
 for laboratory testing.

 i. Document the nature and extent of the debris through samples and
 photographs that illustrate the size and make-up of the debris.

 ii. Samples of the debris will be collected and retained (see below),
 where practicable.

9. Structural Inspection

 a. Many sinkhole claims may be the result of deterioration, construction
 defects or modifications in structures. Therefore, a qualified structural
 engineer should evaluate the damage that cannot be directly attributed to
 natural earth processes to ascertain the cause and origin of the damage and
 assess integrity of the structure.

 b. The engineering inspection should be in concert with the geoscience
 assessment and be of a sufficient scope for determination as to whether the
 damage is consistent with sinkhole activity or some other geological
 process, anthropogenic subsurface causes (buried utilities, etc.) or any
 structural or construction related causes.

 i. Structural issues of concern include compliance with the prevalent