Difference between uncertified and undocumented fills?

[dynamics5]

Please provide difference between the 2 fills. Also, general difference in ability of the 2 different fills to support building structures or various types of construction.

 

[oldestguy]

Too broad a question to mean anything. Generally uncompacted fills are NOT suitable for most structures. However PROPERLY compacted fills can support many types of structures. As to the "various types of construction", some are OK without compaction, but darn few.
What is your goal here with the question? If this is a student exam question, it is not to be asked here according to our rules.

 

[dynamics5]

A potential construction project discovered 50 ft of uncertified fill. Folks wondering how that might affect project but that may be too general a question? What constitutes uncertified fill?

 

[oldestguy]

It may be a term used in your country. I'd assume certifying is merely a statement that tests orother meaningful info show the fill is sufficiently dense to to be described as at a relative density showing it has been compacted to meet some density test criteria. In general the results of on-site density tests in the 90 percent or higher range with respect to a standard density test method in the laboratory.
In this case, if there is no density test info, I'd expect a series of test borings should be made to reasonably accurately determine the relative density. Relative density is the description as to where on-site density test data fit between the loosest and the densest test results in laboratory tests.

In the USA we generally refrain from any overall site certification, but instead refer to spaced test borings as roughly describing the site. One has to be careful in being too general, since legal liability results.

 

[cvg]

certification generally means that an engineer has certified that the fill meets the requirements of the contract and/or meets the design requirements. Certification is often required for levees, dams, landfills and other critical structures

undocumented means that there is no documentation of the fill material quality, density, gradation, placement method, etc. no CQC or CQA documentation is available

 

[darthsoilsguy2]

i call both of those "Fill" when i draft my boring logs.

 

[r13]

I think your case is more of undocumented fill (no record, nor anybody has the memory). If it is going to be a project site, soil sampling and testing are required to determine the suitability of the fill stays as foundation material. Both OG and CHG stated correctly regarding the certification requirement of fill.