Geotechnical Field

Investigation Methods

Looking into the Ground

Soil Sampling
Trial pit, trench
Disturbed sampling
Undisturbed sampling
Standard Penetration Test

Trial Pits and Trenches

Screw Sampler Piston Sampler

Auger Sampling with SPT rig

Piston Sampler

Field Investigation Methods

Field Investigation Methods

Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
Cone Penetration Tests (CPT, CPTU)
Pressuremeter Test (PMT)
Dilatometer Test (DMT)
Screw Plate - Plate Load Test (PLT)
Vane Test (VST)
Drilling
Seismic tests

Swedish Weight Sounding, 1920

Field Investigation Methods

Standard Penetration Test

SPT Adjustment Approach

N1
where

= N CN

CN

stress adjustment factor

'

effective overburden stress (t/ft2)

SPT N-index (bl/ft)

N1

stress-adjusted N

and

Peck et al. (1974)

Seed (1976)

lg '
20
C N = 0.77 lg = 1
lg 20
'
v'
C N = 1 1.25 log
r
'r = a reference stress = 1 t/ft2 (100 KPa)

Friction Angle from SPT

CPT Test Equipment

Cone Penetration Test - CPT

CPT Point and Pore Pressure Cone

Comparison between CPT and SPT

1,25
Dry Sand
1,00

Wet Sand
Dry Gravel
Robertson & Campanella (1983)

qc/ N

0,75

0,50

0,25

0,00
0,001

0,01

0,1

PARTICLE SIZE, D 50

Determining SPT Index

1.0

1.0

0.9

0.9

0.8

0.8

0.7

0.7

qc/N (MPa/Blows)

qc/N (MPa/Blows)

Robertson et al. (1983)

0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3

0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.0
0.001

SAND
Fine

0.010

0.100

Mean Particle Size (mm)

1.000

0.0
0.00

Medium

0.50

Coarse

1.00

1.50

Mean Particle Size (mm)

2.00

Results of CPTU Test

Soil Classification from CPT

Robertson and Campanella,1986

EslamiFellenius Profiling Chart

Interpretation of CPTU Sounding

Sleeve Friction (KPa)

Cone Stress, q t (MPa)

0

10

20

30

200

100

200

300

Friction Ratio (% )
400

0.0

10

10

CLAY

20

SAND

SILT

20

15

SILT

DEPTH (m)

15

DEPTH (m)

SILT

DEPTH (m)

15

10

15

20

20

SAND

SAND

1.0

2.0

3.0

CLAY

CLAY

10

DEPTH (m)

100

Pore Pressure (KPa)

25

25

25

25

30

30

30

30

4.0

Eslami-Fellenius
Chart
ESLAMI-FELLENIUS
CHART of Data
100

Cone Stress, qE (MPa)

5
4

10

3
1

0.1
1

2
10

100

Sleeve Friction (KPa)

1,000

Vibro-compaction of Soils - CPT

Determining E-Modulus

E25 = qt

CFEM, 1992

where E25 = secant modulus for a stress equal to about 25 % of ultimate stress

= an empirical coefficient

qt

= cone stress

Soil Type

Silt and sand

1.5

Compact sand

2.0

Dense sand

3.0

Sand and gravel

4.0

Adjustment of Cone Resistance to

Overburden Stress
Massarsch, 1994

qtM = qt C M

Adjustment of Cone Resistance to

Overburden Stress
Massarsch, 1994

qtM

= qt
m

m =

0.5

v (1 + 2 K 0 )
3

Settlement Calculation Tangent

Modulus Method

Stress Exponent Modulus Number

31

Modulus Number, m from CPT

m=a(
where

qtM

0.5

= modulus number for tangent modulus

Soil Type

= an empirical modulus modifier,

Soft clay

Firm clay

which depends on soil type

qtM = stress-adjusted cone stress *)
r

= reference stress = 100 KPa

*) Note, the adjustment requires

an estimate of the overconsolidation
ratio, OCR, and K0

Massarsch and Fellenius, 2001

Modulus Modifier, a

Silt, organic soft

Silt, loose

7
12

Silt, compact

15

Silt, dense
Sand, silty loose

20
20

Sand, loose

22

Sand, compact

28

Sand, dense
Gravel, loose

35
35

Gravel, dense

45

Results of CPTU
Cone Stress, q t (MPa)
10

CLAY
overconsolidated due to
building load

15

20

SILT
and
SAND

DEPTH (m)

DEPTH (m)

25

20

30

40

50

500

1,000

Friction Ratio, fR (% )

1,500

0.0

FILL

10

10

10

10

10

15

15

DEPTH (m)

DEPTH (m)

Pore Pressure (KPa)

Sleeve Friction, fs (KPa)

15

20

20

20

25

25

25

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

Determination of Modulus Number

Modulus Number, m)

Cone Stress, qt (MPa)

0

10

15

20

10

DEPTH (m)

DEPTH (m)

qt filtered and
depth adjusted

15

qt filtered

10

15

20

20

25

25

Oedometer
test

Modulus Number, m from CPTU

Cone Stress, q t (MPa)
0

Exponent "a"

Modulus Number, m)
0

25

50

75

100

10

10

DEPTH (m)

DEPTH (m)

From Filtered
CPTU Data

15

From Oedometer
Tests

10

15

15

20

20

25

25

qt measured
20

qt filtered
25

qt filtered and depth adjusted

10

15

Modulus Number, m from CPTU

Massarsch and Fellenius, 2001
Cone Stress, q t (MPa)
0

10

10

qt measured

20

qt filtered

15

DEPTH (m)

15

DEPTH (m)

Modulus Number, m)
0

20

25

25

30

30

35

35

40

qt filtered and
depth adjusted

40

20

40

60

80

100

Determining Undrained Shear

Strength
qt v
u =
N kt
u

undrained shear strength

qt

v
Nkt

=
=

cone resistance corrected for pore

water pressure on shoulder
total overburden stress
a coefficient; 10 < Nkt < 20

Determining Density Index

(Relative Density)

I D = C I ln
ID
CI
KI
qt

=
=
=
=

r
v

=
=

qt

r 'v

+ KI

density index
a coefficient; CI 0.41
a coefficient; KI 2.75
cone resistance corrected for pore
water pressure on shoulder
reference stress = 100 KPa
effective overburden stress

Relative Density from CPT

Robertson, 1986

Density Index from CPT

Baldi et al. , 1986

Friction Angle from CPT

qt
tg ' = C lg
+ K
'v

C
K
qt

=
=
=
=

effective friction angle

a coefficient; C = 0.37 (= 1/2.68)
a coefficient; K = 0.1
cone resistance corrected for pore
water pressure on shoulder
effective overburden stress

Friction Angle from CPT

Interpretation of CPT and SPT

Dilatometer

Field Vane Test

Pressuremeter Test, PMT

Interpretation of PMT

Screw Plate Test

Plate Load Test

Soil-Rock Drilling

Rock Drilling

Rock Quality Designation, RQD

Seismic Refraction Test

SASW Falling Weight Test

54

ISSMGE TC 10 - SCPT
Procedure to Measure Shear

Wave Velocity

Seismic Cross-hole Test

Seismic Diagonal Testing

58

Seismic Down-hole Test

Determination of Wave Travel Time

Surface Wave Measurement

P-wave: measurement in wave propagation direction
S-wave: perpendicular to wave propagation direction

GV
Medium dense sand

61

Shear Wave Propagation in Sand

Particle Velocity, mm/s

0.5

v = 0,5 mm/s

Distance: 10 m

0.5

Distance: 15m

f = 53 Hz

Distance: 20 m

t = 0,033 s

1.5

0.05

0.1

Distance: 25 m

0.15

0.2

0.25

Time,s
62

Interpretation of Vibration
Measurement
Deformation vs - Time
Displacement
Amplitude
s
t

Time

63

Interpretation of Vibration
Measurement
Deformation, s
s = v / (2 f ) = 1,5 10-3 mm

Shear Wave Speed, Cs

Cs = L /t = 5 m / 0,033 sec = 151 m/s

Shear Modulus, Gmax (small strain)

Gmax = Cs2 = 41 MPa

(Density, = 1,8 t/m3)

64

Interpretation of Vibration
Measurement
Shear Strain,

= v /CS = 0,5 x 10-3 / 151= 3,3 x 10- 4 %

Shear Strain rate at 53 Hz

= 0,0011 % / min
Wave Length,

= Cs / f = 151 / 53 = 2,85 m

65

Modulus Reductions Factor, R

for Determination of Static Modulus

66

Relationship Between G-, E- and

M-Modulus
Elastic (Youngs) Modulus:
Confined Modulus:

Assuming = 0.3:

Samband mellan vgfart och

deformationsmodul
M max = C

2
P

2
S

Gmax = C

E = 2(1+ )G
2(1 )
M=
G
(1 2 )
M: Kompressionsmodul
G: Skjuvmodul
E: Youngs modul
: Poissons tal
: Totaldensiteten

68