Hollow-stem augers are commonly used to install wells because...

• A. soil sampling is easy and accurate in most cases
• B. they are the cheapest option
• C. they require no PPE
• D. they produce the deepest boreholes

Answer: (A)

Hollow-stem augers let you collect soil samples while you drill, by providing a hollow passage through which sampling tools can be lowered and retrieved without removing the entire drill string. This setup lets you take successive, relatively undisturbed samples at depth and bring them to the surface for analysis, which makes soil sampling easier and more accurate in many drilling situations. The ability to obtain representative samples as you progress is especially valuable for understanding soil layers, grain size, moisture content, and stratigraphy for proper well design and placement.

The other ideas don’t reflect the main advantage of hollow-stem augers. They aren’t chosen because they’re the cheapest option, they still require appropriate PPE, and they aren’t designed to create the deepest boreholes.