ISO 18400-102-2017 PDF

Full title and description

St ISO 18400-102:2017 — Soil quality — Sampling — Part 102: Selection and application of sampling techniques. Provides guidance on choosing and applying appropriate field sampling techniques and equipment so that representative disturbed and undisturbed soil samples can be collected for subsequent laboratory examination of soil quality.

Abstract

ISO 18400-102:2017 gives guidance on sampling techniques and equipment selection for soil-quality investigations. It covers manual and powered samplers, drilling and ancillary equipment, and procedures for taking representative disturbed and undisturbed samples at different depths. The document addresses field application issues (health & safety, preventing cross-contamination, sample handling, transport and storage) and provides illustrative annexes describing typical equipment and examples. It excludes geotechnical investigations, hard rock sampling, non-sample techniques (e.g. geophysics), water sampling, soil gas investigations and radioactively contaminated site investigations.

General information

• Status: Published (International Standard).
• Publication date: 25 January 2017.
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 13.080.05 (Examination of soils in general).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2017).
• Number of pages: 71 pages.

Scope

This part of ISO 18400 gives guidance on techniques for taking soil samples to provide information on soil quality. It advises on selection and application of sampling equipment and methods to enable collection of representative disturbed and undisturbed samples at various depths. It does not cover geotechnical-only investigations, sampling of hard strata such as bedrock, sampling approaches that do not take physical samples (for example geophysical surveys), collection of water samples, investigations of soil gas, or investigation of radioactively contaminated sites.

Key topics and requirements

• Principles of sampling planning and achieving representativeness for soil-quality analyses.
• Differentiation of disturbed versus undisturbed samples and guidance on appropriate sample sizes and handling for each.
• Selection of sampling techniques and equipment (manual samplers, powered samplers, drilling rigs, trial pits, corers, etc.) appropriate to site conditions and sampling depth.
• Field practices to prevent cross-contamination, ensure chain-of-custody, and preserve sample integrity (collection, labelling, transport, storage and preservation).
• Depth-specific sampling considerations (near-surface/topsoil and deeper horizons) and procedures for correct sample extraction and preparation.
• Health, safety and environmental considerations during sampling, including backfilling and disposal of drill cuttings or waste materials.
• Advice on personnel competence, documentation and quality control of field sampling operations.
• Notes on stockpile sampling and distinction from in‑situ sampling (stockpile sampling covered by other parts of the ISO 18400 series).

Typical use and users

Used by environmental consultants, site investigation teams, contaminated land assessors, remediation contractors, regulatory agencies, environmental testing laboratories and researchers. Typical applications include baseline soil-quality investigations, contaminated site assessment, monitoring programs and preparatory surveys for redevelopment or remediation projects where representative soil sampling is required.

Related standards

ISO 18400-102 is part of the ISO 18400 series on soil-quality sampling. Relevant related documents include ISO 18400-101 (framework for sampling plans), other ISO 18400 parts (for example parts covering documentation and reporting, preliminary investigations and soil gas), ISO 11074 (soil quality — vocabulary), ISO 5667 (water sampling standards), and ISO 18589 (radioactivity in soils). ISO 18400-102 superseded/replaced aspects of earlier ISO 10381 series parts (for example ISO 10381-2:2002 and ISO 10381-6:2009) which were withdrawn or consolidated into the 18400 series.

Keywords

soil quality, soil sampling, sampling techniques, undisturbed sample, disturbed sample, sampling equipment, representativeness, field procedures, chain-of-custody, site investigation, stockpile sampling

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 18400-102:2017 is an international guidance standard on selection and application of field sampling techniques for obtaining representative soil samples for soil-quality assessment.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers guidance on choosing sampling techniques and equipment, collecting disturbed and undisturbed samples at different depths, field practices to avoid contamination, sample handling, transport and storage, safety and documentation. It explicitly excludes geotechnical-only investigations, hard rock sampling, non-sample-based methods, water sampling, soil gas investigations and radioactively contaminated site investigations.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Environmental consultants, remediation contractors, laboratories, regulators, site investigation personnel and researchers involved in soil-quality assessment and contaminated land work.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The standard was published on 25 January 2017 (Edition 1). It replaced earlier related parts from the ISO 10381 series for soil sampling. For the absolute current status (amendments, confirmations or newer editions) check the official ISO catalogue or your national standards body before procurement or citing in regulatory submissions.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is Part 102 of the ISO 18400 series on soil-quality sampling and should be used alongside other parts of ISO 18400 and related ISO standards (for vocabulary, water sampling and radioactivity guidance) as appropriate to the investigation.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Soil sampling, sampling techniques, disturbed sample, undisturbed sample, soil quality, sampling equipment, representativeness, field procedures.