Geotechnical Testing Methods II

Ajanta Sachan
Assistant Professor
Civil Engineering
IIT Gandhinagar

FIELD TESTING

Field Test (In-situ Test)

When it is difficult to obtain undisturbed samples.

In case of Cohesionless soils, Sensitive clays, etc.
Advantage:
Testing on natural soil under undisturbed
conditions
Disadvantage:
Testing conditions are not controlled
Time dependent phenomenon are difficult to
control due to large scale
Measurements/instrumentation is tricky and
rather a difficult task

Field Test (In-situ Test)

In-situ shear strength tests

Standard Penetration Test (SPT)

Cone Penetration Test (CPT)
Dynamic Cone Penetration Test (DCPT)
Vane Shear Test (VST)
Dilatometer Test (DMT)
Pressure meter Test (PMT)

Settlement test

Plate Load Test

Common In Situ Testing Devices

SPT
VST

PMT

In bore holes

DCPT

CPT

DMT

Standard Penetration Test

IS: 2131-1981

Standard Penetration Test

Components

Drilling Equipment

Split spoon sampler IS:9640-1980

Drive weight assembly

Inner diameter of hole 100 to 150 mm

Casing may be used in case of soft/non-cohesive soils

Falling Weight = 63.5 Kg

Fall height = 75 cm

Others Lifting bail, Tongs, ropes, screw jack, etc.

Procedure

The bore hole is advanced to desired depth and bottom is cleaned.

Split spoon sampler is attached to a drill rod and rested on bore
hole bottom.
Driving mass is dropped onto the drill rod repeatedly and the
sampler is driven into soil for a distance of 450 mm. The number of
blow for each 150 mm penetration 7are recorded.

Standard Penetration Test

Procedure (Cont.)

N-value

First 150 mm penetration is considered as seating penetration

The number of blows for the last two 150 mm penetration are
added together and reported as N-value for the depth of bore
hole.

The split spoon sampler is recovered, and sample is

collected from split barrel so as to preserve moisture
content and sent to the laboratory for further analysis.
SPT is repeated at every 750 mm or 1500 mm interval
for larger depths.
Under the following conditions the penetration is
referred to as refusal and test is halted
a) 50 blows are required for any 150 mm penetration
b) 100 blows are required for last 300 mm penetration
c) 10 successive blows produce no advancement

Precautions during SPT

The ht. of free fall Must be 750 mm

The fall of hammer must be free, frictionless and vertical
Cutting shoe of the sampler must be free from wear & tear
The bottom of the bore hole must be cleaned to collect
undisturbed sample
When SPT is done in a sandy soil below water table , the
water level in the bore hole MUST be maintained higher
than the ground water level.
Otherwise: QUICK condition!!
Very Low N value

SPT Corrections
Correction for Overburden Pressure :

N ' CN . N
N' = Corrected value of
observed N
CN = Correction factor for
overburden pressure
Peck, Hanson and Thornburn
(1974)

p' = Effective overburden pressure at a depth

corresponding to N-value measurement

SPT Corrections
Correction for Overburden Pressure : (Alternative)

Correction for Dilatancy :

If the stratum consists of fine sand and silt below water table, for N' > 15,
the dilatancy correction is applied as

Alternative -

SPT Hammer Energy Correction

Energy is dissipated in some fraction during the impact, and the

output energy is usually in the range of 50% to 80% of energy input.
For rope pully system with safety hammer

Ein

60%

The N-value is standardized for 60 % energy output. For other

hammers, the N-value may be corrected in ratio of their energy
input

N60

Eout

Eout

Ein %
.N
60

Although IS 2131-1981 is silent on this issue, the correction may be

applied as per the requirement of the project.

SPT Test Data

No. of blows per 0.30m

Data from different bore holes

Interpretation from SPT: Cohesionless Soils

N''

f'

Dr (%)

consistency

0-4

25-30

0-15

very loose

4-10

27-32

15-35

loose

10-30

30-35

35-65

medium

30-50

35-40

65-85

dense

>50

38-43

85-100

very dense

Interpretation from SPT: Cohesive Soils

not corrected for overburden

cu 6.25.N in kPa

cu (kPa)

consistency

visual identification

0-2

0 - 12

very soft

Thumb can penetrate > 25 mm

2-4

12-25

soft

Thumb can penetrate 25 mm

4-8

25-50

medium

Thumb penetrates with moderate effort

8-15

50-100

stiff

Thumb will indent 8 mm

15-30

100-200

very stiff

Can indent with thumb nail; not thumb

>30

>200

hard

Cannot indent even with thumb nail

Mayne and Kemper (1988)

N
OCR 0.193
p'

0.689

MN/m2

Cone Penetration Test (CPT)

IS: 4968 (Part III)

CPT Procedure

Push the sounding rod with cone into the ground for some specified
depth. Then push the cone with friction sleeve for another specified
depth (> 35 mm). Repeat the process with/without friction sleeve.
Pushing rate = 1 cm/s
Mantle tube is push simultaneously such that it is always above the
cone and friction sleeve.
Tip Load, Qc = Load from pressure gauge reading + Wt. of cone +
Wt. of connecting sounding rods

qc

Qc
Ac

x-sectional area off cone = 10 cm2

With friction sleeve add its self weight as well Qt = Qc + Qf

Tip resistance

Frictional resistance q f

Friction Ratio

fr

qf
qc

Qt Qc
Af

surface area of friction sleeve

10%
Typical range
17

0%

Cohesive
Granular

CPT Results
& Soil
Classification

Typical
CPT Data

Interpreted
Soil Profile

CPT Cone Resistance, qc1

0

(MPa)
6 8 10 12 14

SPT Blow Count, N1(60)

0

(Blows/300 mm)
10
20

30

Relative Density, Dr
(%)
0

20

40

60

80

100

Fine Sand
w/ Shells
(SP)

Depth Below Excavated Surface (m)

Interbedded
Fine Sand
and
Silty Sand
(SP-SM)

Fine Silty
Sand
(SM)

Gray Silty
Clay (CL)

Mean
Mean-SD
Mean+SD

From CPT
From SPT

Sand (SP)
10

10

CPT Profile for Piezocone

Cone Tip
Interpreted Soil Profile
EQ Drain Test Area 1

Resistance, q
(MPa)

0 2 4 6 8 1012

Fricton Ratio, F

(%)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Pore Pressure, u
(kPa)
-100

100 200

Relative
Density, D

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

Sand

1
2

Silty sand/sand

3
4

Silt and Sandy

Silt

Depth (m)

6
7
8
9
10
11

Sand to
Silty Sand

12
13
14
15

CPT Versus SPT

CPT: Advantages over SPT

provides much better resolution, reliability

versatility; pore water pressure, dynamic soil
properties

CPT: Disadvantages

Does not give a sample

Will not work with soil with gravel
Need to mobilize a special rig

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Dynamic Cone Penetration Test (DCPT)

IS: 4968 (Part I, II)

Components:
1)

Cone (dia = 50 mm)

~usually made of steel

2)

Driving rods/drill
rods
~marked at every 100 mm

SPT

Hollow (split spoon)

DCPT
Solid (no samples)

DCPT Procedure

Cone drill rod driving head assembly is installed

vertically on the ground and hammer is dropped from
standard height repeatedly
The blow counts are recorded for every 100 mm penetration.
A sum of three consecutive values i.e. 300 mm is noted as the
dynamic cone resistance, Ncd at that depth.
The cone is driven up to refusal or the project specified depth.
In the end, the drill rod is withdrawn. The cone is left in the
ground if unthreaded or recovered if threaded.
No sample recovered
Fast testing less project cost / cover large area in due time

Use of bentonite slurry is optional, which is used to reduce

friction on the driving rods.
Modified cone is used in this case: diameter = 62.5 mm

12

Vane Shear Test (VST)

measuring (torque)
head

bore hole

For clays, and mainly for soft clays.

Measure torque required to quickly
shear the vane pushed into soft clay.

undrained
h2d

vane

torque undrained shear strength cu

Typical d = 20-100 mm.

soft clay
25

Vane Shear Test

vane

Interpretation:
Undrained shear
strength -

cu

2.T

.D 2 .H .

D
3.H

For H = 2.D

cu 0.273

Test in Progress

T
D3

Failure surface

13

Dilatometer Test (DMT)

Insert DMT using SPT

drilling equipment to the
desired depth and pressure
the cell
Measure pressure when the
membrane is flushed with
plate and when it enters
ground by 1.1 mm.
Decrease the pressure &
measure the pressure when
membrane is again flushed
with plate.

60 mm dia.
Flexible
membrane

Determined:
Elastic Modulus
Soil Type and state
27

Pressure meter
Test (PMT)

Determined:
Elastic Young Mod, E
Shear Mod, G
Undrained shear strength, Su

14

Pressure meter Test (PMT)

Measurements:
1. Fluid Pressure
2. Fluid volume change

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Plate Load Test

This test is used to estimate the
Elastic Modulus and Bearing
Capacity of soils which are not
easily sampled.

Bearing Capacity Estimation: The

load is applied such that the rate of
penetration remains constant. A
load-settlement curve is produced.
Equations have been developed to
obtain undrained shear strength
from ultimate bearing capacity.

Modulus Estimation: The load is

applied to the plate in increments of one
fifth of the design load. Time-settlement
and load-settlement curves are then
produced to estimate modulus of soil
from the test results.

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ROCK TESTING

Rock Testing

Unconfined Compression Test

Brazilian Test
Point Load Test
Direct Shear Test
Slake Durability Test
Schmidt Rebound Hardness Test
Sound Velocity Test
In-situ stress measurements in rocks

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Specimen Preparation Equipments for

Rock Testing
Rock Core sizes:
EX = 21.46 mm
AX = 30.10 mm
BX = 42.04 mm
NX = 54.74 mm
More: 35mm, 50mm,
75mm, 100 mm

Core cutting &

grinding machine:
Cutting and grinding
cylindrical rock specimens
core size: EX to NX

Core drilling machine:

Rock core preparation
For regular and irregular
Samples.
core size: EX to 100mm
Polishing & Lapping machine

Rock Samples
Granite:
High stiffness
High strength
Very brittle
Limestone:
Medium stiffness
Medium strength
Medium brittleness
Shale:
Low stiffness
Low strength
Ductile

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Unconfined Compression Test

This test is performed to obtain
the unconfined compressive
strength (UCS) of intact rock
cores (slenderness ratio = 2).
UCS is the maximum stress that
that rock specimen can sustain.
Rock specimen is kept in a
loading frame, and if required
heated to the desired test
temperature.

Axial load is continuously

increased on the specimen until
peak load and failure are
obtained.

Brazilian test: Tensile strength of Rock

Brazilian test is performed to obtain the
tensile strength of rock mass.
Tensile strength of rock is imp to know
for drilling, blasting of rocks, failure of
roof and floor of tunnels, chambers &
underground roadways; often weak
rocks fail in tension exhibiting splitting
mode of failure.
In this test, a disc/cylinder is subjected
to a line load, and fracture should
initiate at the centre and progress
towards periphery. If opposite, the test
is discarded as considered that it did
not fail in tension.

18

Point Load Test: compress. strength of irregular rock sp.

When regular cores could not be obtained;
only irregular pieces are available from
the rock excavation, Point load test is
performed to obtain the compressive
strength of rock mass.
The roughly chiseled spherical mass with
dia. ranging between 30-50 mm is tested
between two hard conical tips in a rigid
frame.

Direct Shear Test:

Normal stress versus Shear stress response of rock mass

It measures peak and residual direct shear strength as a function of
stress normal to the sheared plane.
It can be used for testing for both: core & lump specimens.
Shear box size: 300mm x 300mm x 100mm

19

Triaxial Shear Test:

shear strength parameters (c, f) of rock mass

Triaxial cells for testing rocks are
designed to withstand a confining
pressure 150 Kg/cm2.
Mostly triaxial tests on rock
specimens are performed under no
volume change conditions.
Stress-strain curve is obtained using
deviator stress and axial strain. The
modulus and failure deviator stress
are estimated. Shear strength
parameters (c & f ) are calculated
adopting similar methods as in soils
If the strain gauges are attached to
measure the lateral strain, poissons
ratio (n) also can be obtained.

Slake Durability Test:

Resistance of rock mass to disintegration during wetting-drying

Rock fragments of known

weight placed in rotating drum
apparatus, and rock pieces
(approx 10 pieces, each 40-60gm
weight) are circulated through
wet and dry cycles.
Re-weigh the rock fragments to
determine the slake durability
index (SDI).
Mostly, this test allows the rock
mass to get exposed up to two
cycles of wetting and drying.

20

Schmidt Test: Hardness of rock

Schmidt test is performed
to determine the rebound
hardness of rock.
The plunger of the hammer
is pressed against the
specimen and the height of
rebound of the plunger on
a scale is taken as the
measure of hardness.

Sound Velocity Test: P & S-wave velocity of rocks

It is non-destructive test and performed to determine the
velocity of elastic wave propagation through rock in the
laboratory.
slenderness ratio used for the test is usually 3. Test can be
conducted on dry, moist or saturated specimens.
A transmitter and a receiver are attached at sides of rock
specimen (a thin layer of grease is applied on the
specimens ends to have proper contact with transducers).
The energy transmission between the transducers
(transmitter and receiver) is used to determine the
velocities of P and S wave.

21

In-situ stress measurements in rocks

In-situ stress measurements in rocks:

Testing methods on Field

22

In-situ stress measurements in rocks:

Flat Jack Test

In-situ stress measurements in rocks:

Hydrofracturing Test

23

Thank You

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