US 12,360,048 B2
Apparatus and methods for the estimation of soil unconfined compressive strength using laser-induced spectroscopy
Yakubu Sani Wudil, Dhahran (SA); Mohammed A. Al-Osta, Dhahran (SA); Omar S. Baghabra Al-Amoudi, Dhahran (SA); Muhammad A. Gondal, Dhahran (SA); and Osama Atef Al Najjar, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Oct. 12, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/485,748.
Prior Publication US 2025/0123214 A1, Apr. 17, 2025
Int. Cl. G01N 21/71 (2006.01); G01N 21/25 (2006.01); G01N 33/24 (2006.01); G01N 21/03 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/718 (2013.01) [G01N 21/255 (2013.01); G01N 33/24 (2013.01); G01N 2021/0339 (2013.01); G01N 2201/06113 (2013.01); G01N 2201/0697 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A field portable device for determining the unconfined compressive strength of a soil sample, comprising:
a sample holder configured to receive a soil sample, wherein the sample holder has a defined volume;
a heating device configured to dry the soil sample for a specified time;
a scale connected to the sample holder, wherein the scale is configured to measure an undried weight of the soil sample and a dried weight of the soil sample;
a spectrometer configured to perform laser induced breakdown spectroscopy on the soil sample and generate spectral emission intensities of the soil sample;
a display screen;
a power source;
a microprocessor connected to the scale, the heating device, the spectrometer, the display screen and the power source, wherein the microprocessor includes circuitry, one or more processors, a memory storing programming instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
calculate a bulk density of the soil sample;
calculate a water content of the soil sample;
actuate the spectrometer to perform laser induced breakdown spectrometry on the soil sample and generate the spectral emission intensities;
apply the spectral emission intensities, the bulk density and the water content of each soil sample as input features to a trained decision tree regressor combined with an adaptive boosting classifier;
predict the unconfined compressive strength of the soil sample; and
display the unconfined compressive strength, the bulk density, the water content and the spectral emission intensities of the soil sample on the display screen.