Method for measuring density of a bulk material in a stockpile

A method of determing the density of cohesionless bulk material in a stockpile, comprising the steps of:

• completely boring a test hole substantially to the bottom of said stockpile;
• following complete boring of said hole, positioning one end of a first section of steel casing of an outer diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said test hole at or near the opening to said hole;
• applying a first force to the opposite end of said first section until said section is pushed partially into said hole;
• connecting a second section of casing to the upper end of said first section;
• applying a force substantially equivalent to said first applied force to the upper end of said second section until said second section is pressed partially into said test hole, whereby said first section is driven further into said test hole;
• connecting additional sections of casing and inserting said sections into said test hole until said casing sections extend the full depth of said test hole;
• after said casing sections extend the full depth of said hole, inserting the probe of a nuclear depth-density gauge into said test hole and locating said probe at a predetermined depth along said hole, said probe having a length of cable attached thereto;
• taking a series of timed readings with said gauge;
• and
• moving said probe along said test hole such that at the beginning of each of said readings following the first thereof, said probe is at a location along said test hole separated by a predetermined interval from its location at the beginning of the last preceding one of said readings, whereby each of said readings taken corresponds to one of a plurality of predetermined depths along said test hole.