A Shel tube is an aluminum tube used to collect undisturbed soil samples for later analysis. It is driven into the ground with a pipe driving hammer and can be sealed for transport or pushed out into a separate tube. This method preserves the soil sample’s characteristics for accurate analysis.
A Shel tube is an aluminum tube used to collect and secure soil samples in an undisturbed state for later analysis. It is open on one end and has a cap or tube drive head fitted to the other. The tube is pushed into the ground and then pulled out with an intact soil sample inside. This tube can then be transported as-is with a threaded sealing cap on the open end or the sample can be pushed out and sealed in a specially made tube for later examination. The purpose of taking soil samples in this way is to preserve the delicate layers or strata and any other distinguishing features of the soil sample intact.
Shel pipes are typically constructed of a thin-walled aluminum material that offers little resistance when driven into the ground. The tubes are made with a moderate cutting edge on one end and have locking holes or a thread machined into the other. This Shel Pipe End has a locked-in-place pipe drive head that accepts a pipe drive hammer attachment. This pipe driving hammer can be operated hydraulically or manually and pushes the pipe into the ground. Once the tube is driven into the ground the required distance, it is then pulled out again with the undisturbed sample still inside the tube.
At this point, the tube can be sealed with a cap on the open end and transported to the test facility or, if the tube is needed for further samples, the sample can be gently pushed out into a separate PVC or cardboard tube. If the tube is not long enough for the required sample depth, it can be reinserted into the same hole and the process repeated. This sampling method allows all the characteristics of the thin layer of the soil sample to remain intact for accurate analysis. This is not possible with the conventional shovel, split corer or auger excavation which disturbs the composition of the soil samples taken.
A typical Shel pipe is about three inches (76 mm) in diameter and 10 to 36 inches (254 to 914 mm) long, although different sizes are common for specific applications. The hammer operating the Shel pipe may be a manually operated or hydraulic weight which is lifted and then repeatedly dropped onto a shoulder machined into the hammer attachment. This impact is then transferred to the Shel pipe and pushes it into the ground. The shorter Shelpiù pipes can also be fitted with a simple manual handle which is used to push the pipe into the ground without the aid of a pipe guide.
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