3rd International Symposium on Cone Penetration Testing, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - 2014

Using piezocone to assess strength gain of gold tailings in semi-arid

environment
P.J. Chapman
Golder Associates Pty Ltd, Perth, Australia
M.A.B. Shelbourn
Barrick Gold Corporation, Salt Lake City, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT: This paper presents selected results of seven piezocone penetration test (CPTu) campaigns
distributed over eighteen years and three upstream-raised tailings storage facilities (TSFs) at a gold mine
in Western Australia. Periodic CPTu soundings served in part to validate the inferred strength gain, and
where feasible tailings samples were also collected for conventional geotechnical laboratory testing to
support the CPTu data interpretation. Results from the CPTu soundings indicate significant consolida-
tion and strength gain in some zones of the deposited tailings; however, other zones of weaker, uncon-
solidated material persist despite significant fallow periods or subsequent loading via tailings deposition.
An increase in phreatic surface level was also inferred in the continuously-operated facilities, indicative
of net accumulative transport water storage within the tailings deposits, while drain down was evident in
the one TSF left fallow for twelve years, prior to its recent recommissioning. The results are used to
provide a comparison of estimated strength gain over time and the drying and rewetting behavior
associated with cyclic deposition of the flotation gold tailings streams.

1 INTRODUCTION

The consolidation and associated increase in strength of slurried gold tailings deposited in semi-arid en-
vironments over long periods is currently not well understood. Site climate, discharge water content and
pond management, mineralogical and geotechnical tailings properties, facility rate of rise and cyclical
deposition strategies, fine and coarse tailings segregation, local geology and subsurface drainage condi-
tions are amongst the factors that control the development and dissipation of porewater pressures, the
rate of consolidation and increase in strength in tailings deposits. Periodic piezocone penetration test
(CPTu) soundings can be used to assess the anticipated engineering behavior of the tailings over time,
although access to some areas of the tailings storage facility (TSF) is often restricted by soft ground
conditions or active deposition. Increasingly, the installation by direct pushing of transducer-based pie-
zometers is included in the geotechnical investigation, thus allowing long-term pore pressure monitoring
in zones of interest identified by the CPTu data. Although desirable, tailings sample recovery for
geotechnical testing to support the CPTu work during mine operation is often limited to collection at the
tailings discharge points and at near-surface, beach-above-water locations; the former do not provide in-
formation on segregation and the latter are significantly affected by evaporative desiccation.
Starting in early 1995, periodic CPTu investigations have been undertaken at a gold mine located in
semi-arid Western Australia; although not a direct topic of this study, a considerable and ongoing im-
provement in CPTu technology and field practice has been noted since that time. Table 1 summarizes
the number of soundings and dissipation tests at the three largest TSFs at the mine site, from 1995 to
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present date (as indicated for completeness, static cone soundings were performed in 1993). The num-
ber of dissipation tests completed and the type of additional field work undertaken over the eighteen-
year (to date) study period are also indicated in Table 1. Due to soft-ground and active deposition ac-
cess issues, changes in TSF geometry related to upstream wall raising and geotechnical investigation
objectives at the time, only some CPTu sounding locations have been coincident from campaign to cam-
paign.

Table 1. CPTu sounding campaigns.

Date Site Status Soundings Dissipation Tests Additional Work
Aug 2013 TSF 3 (West) Operating 14 57 n/a
May 2013 TSF 3 (East) Operating 10 28 n/a
Sep 2011 TSF 1 Operating 1 10 VWP
TSF 2 Operating 4 27 n/a
TSF 3 Fallow 20 107 VWP
Aug 2009 TSF 1 Operating 6 6 Lab
TSF 2 Operating 7 4 Lab
TSF 3 Fallow 11 7 VWP, Lab
Sep 2004 TSF 1 Operating 7 6 Lab
TSF 2 Operating 8 9 Lab
TSF 3 Fallow 6 6 Lab
Aug 2000 TSF 1 Operating 2 4 n/a
TSF 2 Operating 6 9 Lab
Feb 1995 TSF 1 Operating 4 83 n/a
TSF 2 Operating 3 (combined) n/a
Aug 1993* TSF 1 Operating 3 n/a n/a
Total All TSFs n/a 112 363 n/a
* Static cone penetration testing VWP = vibrating wire piezometer installation
Lab = laboratory testing of samples

Each CPTu sounding campaign was carried out for slightly different purposes, owing to the issues
faced by the mine operation at the time. For example, the 1995 campaign was conducted to assess the
strength and rate of dissipation of pore pressures in a weak tailings zone identified during the 1993 in-
vestigation; the weak material appeared to coincide with former borrow zones in the tailings beach
located near the perimeter embankment, which are rapidly filled during periods of deposition. As part of
the 1995 CPTu campaign, an estimate was made regarding the maximum depth of borrow that could be
excavated that would allow satisfactory dissipation of excess pore pressures caused during subsequent
upstream wall raises. The purpose of the later investigations (2000, 2004 and 2009) was to evaluate the
undrained shear strength of the tailings material, with a view to assessing the geotechnical stability of
the embankments. Particular attention was paid to liquefaction potential of the tailings during the 2009
study. The 2011 CPTu campaign was focused on identifying the phreatic surface in TSF 3 shortly after
recommissioning, and hence there were few tests on TSF 1 and TSF 2.
Figure 1 provides a schematic of a typical upstream-raised TSF at the mine site, illustrating the three
operational phases of active tailings discharge, fallow period and wall raise construction methodology,
as well as two photos of typical wall raise practice. As indicated in the cut-section view of the Figure 1
schematic, the proximal (i.e. near the perimeter embankment) zone will in principle comprise primarily
the coarser tailings or sands that drop out of suspension more rapidly in subaerial (exposed to the
atmosphere) spigot discharge conditions. In comparison, the finer tailings or slimes portion will be
hydraulically transported to, and settle out in, the distal (i.e. centrally-located, away from the perimeter
embankment) zone, including subaqueous deposition of the finest tailings fraction in the decant pond.
As discussed further below, variability in the tailings environment and operational practice complicates
the idealized particle segregation, and provides a challenge for the development of geotechnical models
using estimated strength parameters and pore pressure conditions derived from CPTu data.
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Figure 1: Schematic of a typical upstream-raised TSF (top) and typical wall raise views in practice (bottom)

Given the extensive tailings geotechnical database associated with the subject mine, this paper pre-
sents only selected results of three of the CPTu sounding campaigns distributed over seven years (2004,
2009 and 2011) on the three principal TSFs, with particular focus on strength gain and associated pore
pressure conditions under the various operating conditions. Subsequent papers are planned to present
additional interpreted results of this relatively long geotechnical monitoring program, including a
comparison of the predicted and observed behavior of TSF 3 upon recommissioning after its twelve-year
fallow period.

2 TSF ARRANGEMENT AND OPERATIONAL HISTORY

The three TSFs were designed and have been operated as paddock-style impoundments, with their initial
or starter embankments constructed using locally-available borrow soils and subsequently raised in an
upstream manner employing tailings borrowed from the proximal beach zone to build the perimeter
walls and maintain minimum freeboard requirements. Multiple-point spigot discharge of slurry tailings
at the TSFs is organized and scheduled so as to develop wide beach-above-water zones around the distal
decant ponds. None of the TSFs was provided with a purpose-built, low-permeability liner or an
underdrain collection system to reduce seepage losses or enhance tailings consolidation.
Although similar in design and wall raise methodology, the TSFs contain material of somewhat
different providence and have had diverse operating histories. TSF 1 and TSF 2 generally contain

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tailings derived from conventional flotation processing of gold-bearing ore from only the subject open
pit mine. Both facilities have been run under continuous cycles of active operation (receiving slurry
tailings) and fallow periods (drying and constructing wall raises) since commissioning, but with
modifications to their respective, original internal cell divisions to their present-day arrangements.
Currently, TSF 1 is configured as a single cell (commissioned pre-1998) whereas TSF 2 comprises three
sequentially-operating cells (commissioned in 1991, 1994 and 1995, respectively). TSF 1 was fallow
for a short period prior to its first CPTu sounding campaign in 2004, but had been recommissioned and
was in operation during the 2004 CPTu campaign. The facility remained in operation thereafter (with
CPTu sounding campaigns in 2009 and 2011), until completion of its final tailings deposition in 2013.
TSF 2 was in operation for all CPTu sounding campaigns (1995 to 2011); the facility remains
operational, with completion scheduled for 2021.
In comparison to TSF 1 and TSF 2, TSF 3 was constructed to store tailings generated from the
reprocessing of historic gold tailings deposits in the general area, and hence its original source material
was variable in nature and (likely) throughput rate. TSF 3 operated in this manner from commissioning
in 1989 to end of original operations in 1999, when it entered a long fallow period with partial
rehabilitation of its external slopes. However, TSF 3 was recently readied for return to operational
status, and in late 2011 began receiving a portion of the flotation gold tailings stream previously
reporting to TSF 1 and TSF 2 as part of an effort to increase overall tailings storage capacity associated
with an expansion project at the mine. Thus, TSF 3 was fallow during the CPTu sounding campaigns of
2004, 2009 and 2011 but (recently) operational for the 2013 CPTu work. TSF 3 is currently scheduled
for final tailings deposition in 2021.
Slurry tailings are delivered to each TSF via pipeline, where they are discharged in a controlled
manner via a system of spigot points that are progressively moved around the perimeter of the
established tailings beach. The intent of the subaerial deposition method is to develop a thin (typically
300 mm maximum thickness) layer of fresh tailings which is exposed to high evaporative conditions that
facilitate drying and consolidation, while simultaneously developing an even beach profile around the
impoundment and maintaining the supernatant or decant pond (which contains the bleed fluid from the
settling and consolidating tailings slurry) around the centrally-located reclaim tower. This deposition
management technique facilitates the increase over time of tailings dry density (mass of solid particles
per unit volume) and hence the operational storage capacity of the TSF. More critically, it attempts to
ensure that adequate foundation conditions are developed for upstream embankment construction. The
approach is in line with conventional practice for management of fine mineral tailings in semi-arid
environments and is widely used throughout the Western Australian Goldfields.

Figure 2: Examples of meandering channels and borrow zone infilling developed during tailings deposition

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 In the context of CPTu data interpretation, at each spigot location the discharged tailings form a
meandering channel across the subaerial beach towards the decant pond location (Figure 2). The
channels are constantly moving, with tailings segregating and being deposited in areas of low energy
(similar to sediment deposition in rivers) and overtopping to form new channels in areas of high energy.
In many cases, and as a complication to the ideal gradation principle of proximal sands and distal slimes,
the deposition from one spigot will spread laterally and intersect deposition channels from nearby
spigots, creating an interwoven beach with finer and coarser particles deposited at indiscriminate
locations dictated by the available energy in the deposition stream. This could mean that a given CPTu
sounding could intersect various deposition cycles associated with immediately adjacent and other
nearby spigots, as well as the locations of previous borrow zones, which are typically filled rapidly with
little segregation. The presence of these interbedded layers is considered to be important, as
geotechnical slope stability models are typically developed from very few CPT soundings taken in
cross-section (Figure 3). From these soundings, discrete layers of various strengths are interpreted for
use in a stability model. During development of the model, assumptions are necessarily made relating to
the lateral extent of each weaker layer in order to provide a reasonable estimate of the conditions within
the TSF. Hence, the strengths adopted for use in stability models are sometimes assumed to be the
weakest value of the sounding, to account for the possibility that a failure could occur through a series of
uninterrupted weaker zones.
ZONE OF FINER TAILINGS 
INFILLED BORROW ZONE 
CPTu SOUNDING 

Figure 3: Example of CPTu soundings intersecting various layers

Due to the intricate, interbedded nature of the coarser and finer mineral particles that constitute
tailings deposits and the various external factors that influence the distribution of entrained (pore) water
with the tailings, such as the ongoing relocation of spigot points, generation and migration of
consolidation water, operation-driven variations in decant pond extents, changes in precipitation and
evaporation conditions and uncertain efficacy of (often constructed) internal drainage systems, pore
pressure conditions in upstream-raised TSFs are complex, and rarely hydrostatic. These conditions
present a challenge to testing practice and data interpretation, in that the cone usually encounters
unsaturated materials in the upper zone of the sounding (for rig access and geotechnical design
considerations, the typically few sites in a CPTu sounding campaign are often located around the TSF
perimeter) and commonly also indicates zones of unsaturated, coarser materials at depth. The cone’s
piezometer element can therefore undergo saturation loses and gains throughout the sounding, resulting
in sluggish pore pressure responses and making the interpretation of pore pressure variation with depth
challenging. Regular dissipation testing in saturated zones provides considerable assistance in assessing
tailings pore pressure profiles.
The strength gain over time, and the pore pressure variation with depth, are therefore of interest to a
designer, particularly when few CPTu soundings are available. Tailings strength and pore pressure
profiles are usually inferred from collected data (or estimated from studies on similar facilities) well

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before the design takes place and therefore may not be representative of the current tailings state, let
alone future TSF operating conditions. The opportunity to consider strength gain from multiple
soundings taken over a relatively long study period in the same TSF is rare and hence the data presented
in this paper are considered to be unique. In this study, locations where the CPTu soundings were at or
near to the same location were selected for each TSF, and undrained shear strength and penetration pore
pressure values over time have been compared. Reflective of their individual heights, locations and
operational characteristics, the tailings strength gain and pore pressure profiles in each TSF were found
to vary markedly over time. In addition, soundings located near the decant pond on TSF 1 were also
carried out, which is atypical during investigations due to the usual focus on external embankment
stability.

3 RESULTS AND INTEPRETATION

3.1 Approach to Interpretation

For tailings geotechnical engineering practice, and in particular to support the design of upstream-raised
TSFs, CPTu data are usually relied on to provide an estimate of in situ strength, to assess existing pore
pressure conditions (through dissipation testing) and to quantify the liquefaction potential of the tailings
deposit, with due attention to embankment foundation conditions. The estimate of undrained shear
strength, su, which is a key focus of this paper, is most commonly performed using empirical
correlations to cone resistance (Lunne et al., 1997):
σ
s   (1) 

where qt is the corrected cone tip resistance, σv is the total in situ vertical stress and Nkt is an
empirical cone factor. Selection of an appropriate Nkt is of paramount importance due to its direct
influence on the value of su estimated for design, in particular when laboratory or field shear strength
reference tests cannot be completed to calibrate Nkt. For the 2004 campaign, an Nkt of 12 was initially
adopted, based on typical values between 10 and 20 quoted in literature for fine-grained soils. However,
the current industry trend, supported by the Independent Geotechnical Review Team retained by the
mine’s owner, is to use a more conservative Nkt value of 15 for gold mine tailings. The results presented
in this paper are therefore based on an Nkt value of 15 for all data presented (including the 2004 data,
which was reanalyzed).
Due to the ever-changing geometry of the subject TSFs, the reference elevation of each sounding also
varied over time. To facilitate comparison, CPTu data over successive campaigns have been plotted to
the same depth scale, with later probes adjusted to take into account increases in the heights of the
facilities. The pore pressure and cone resistance data were used to identify the natural ground, typically
indicated by a significant reduction in pore pressure (the TSFs are unlined) and a corresponding increase
in resistance.
As appropriate tailings deposition and decant pond management of upstream-raised TSFs relies on
maintaining essentially drained, non-contractant conditions in the coarser tailings sands comprising the
embankment foundation (refer to Figure 1), the material penetrated by the cone is often unsaturated, at
least in the upper, proximal zone of the tailings deposit. Research recently conducted within a
calibration chamber at the University of New South Wales indicates that cone tip resistance through
unsaturated soils is significantly higher than saturated or oven-dried soil at the same density
(Pournaghiazar et al., 2012 and 2013). The apparent increase in inferred strength associated with soil
suction as recorded by the laboratory-based cone testing of a clean, uniform sand is relevant to the
results presented in this paper, as significant portions of the subject tailings deposits, typically the upper
5 to 10 m, are generally unsaturated. The results of Pournaghiazar et al. (2012 and 2013) indicate that qt

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values, and hence design su values estimated from empirical correlations to qt, may be over-estimated,
should these tailings later re-saturate.
While Pournaghiazar et al. (2012) propose methods to correct CPTu results on the basis of soil
suction, the suggested procedure is quite recent and is based on laboratory testing of clean sands. For
the purposes of this paper, a direct comparison between estimated su values over successive CPTu
sounding campaigns has been made, as the error in the unsaturated zone is likely to be similar, or at least
consistent, for each sounding.

3.2 TSF 1
As noted above, TSF 1 was fallow just prior to its first CPTu sounding campaign in 2004, but was in
continuous operation from just before that 2004 campaign to its final tailings deposition in 2013. The
second (2009) and third (2011) CPTu sounding campaigns therefore represent conditions of consistent
water inflow (via spigotted tailings slurry) to the TSF. Two proximal and one distal CPTu sounding
locations at TSF 1 were considered for this paper. At each location, the estimated su values and the
recorded penetration pore pressure data, u2, between successive campaigns (i.e. 2004 and 2009 or 2009
and 2011) have been compared.
The results for each location are summarized in Figure 4, with the three charts on the left providing
the estimated su values and the three charts on the right providing the recorded u2 data. The data are
presented by year with the depths adjusted for direct comparison.
The estimated su values for Location 1 and Location 2, both proximal sites, show a general increase
over the five years between soundings. Review of the data indicates the strength gain is in the order of
160 kPa, on average. This is in stark contrast to Location 3 (near the centre of the TSF, adjacent to the
decant pond), which indicates only a small average increase in estimated su (∼20 kPa) between 2009 and
2011, with some zones at depth apparently reduced in strength. This inferred strength behavior is
associated with a significant increase in pore pressure over the two years, a result of continuous
deposition of slurry tailings during this period. The increase in pore pressure is evident in the u2 profile
for Location 3, with the dynamic pore pressure responses near mid-depth of the soundings increasing by
∼200 kPa. In contrast, there was no significant change in u2 response in the proximal soundings
between 2004 and 2009. The u2 data for Location 1 suggest a slight drop in phreatic surface, while the
u2 data for Location 2 suggest a slight increase, but both indicate a phreatic surface about 5 to 10 m
above natural ground.

Figure 4: TSF 1 – Estimated su values (left) and recorded u2 data (right) comparisons

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3.3 TSF 2
TSF 2 was in operation during the 2004, 2009 and 2011 CPTu probing campaigns, and those
geotechnical investigations were focused on verifying the proximal conditions at depth. Comparative
data from three locations are presented for this study (Figure 5), with the three left hand charts providing
estimated su values and the three right hand charts providing recorded u2 data.

Figure 5: TSF 2 – Estimated su values (left) and recorded u2 data (right) comparisons

The estimated su values for Location 1 (2004 and 2009 campaigns) and Location 2 (2009 and 2011
campaigns) show a significant increase near the surface, a result of desiccation due to thin layer
deposition, but no significant increase at depth. The average increase in su is ∼70 kPa for Location 1,
while Location 2 indicates a decrease of ∼40 kPa. The interpreted CPTu sounding data from Location 3
(2009 and 2011 campaigns) show a lower strength near the surface (when compared to Locations 1 and
2) and a relatively consistent, if minor, increase (∼15 kPa) in estimated su along the full depth of the
profile.
The reduction in estimated strength at Location 2 is reflective of increased pore pressure. For
example, the u2 data at Location 1 indicate increased pore pressure response to probing near the base of
the tailings column only, while the dynamic pore pressure at Location 3 steadily increases, but not to the
same extent as for Location 2, particularly in the middle of the tailings profile. As the Location 2
sounding was about 100 m further upstream (i.e. away from the perimeter embankment and closer to the
decant pond) than Locations 1 and 3, the u2 data likely reflect the greater extent of saturation and
generally finer-grained tailings content at that site.

3.4 TSF 3
In contrast to TSF 1 and TSF 2, TSF 3 was in an extended fallow period (1999 to 2013) when all three
CPTu sounding campaigns (2004, 2009 and 2011) were completed. Data sets from two coincident
sounding sites were available for this study: Location 1, near the perimeter embankment, from the 2004
and 2009 campaigns; and Location 2, near the centre of the facility, from the 2009 and 2011 campaigns.
The results for each location are presented in Figure 6, with the two left hand charts providing estimated
su values and the two right hand charts providing recorded u2 data.

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Figure 6: TSF 3 – Estimated su values (left) and recorded u2 data (right) comparisons

Results from Location 1 show a steady increase in estimated su values and a corresponding reduction
in dynamic (and inferred equilibrium) pore pressure conditions between 2004 and 2009. The zones
showing a significant reduction in pore pressure, such as at ∼8 m and ∼12 m depth, show the greatest
increase in strength, as expected. The charted data for Location 2 depict an overall increase in estimated
su at depth, at least in most zones, but also no significant change in pore pressure response conditions in
the relatively short period between CPTu campaigns. The average increase in strength is estimated at
∼170 kPa for Location 1 and ∼140 kPa for Location 2 over the full depth profiles, noting however that
the main increase in strength at Location 2 was in the near-surface zone, a result of continued
desiccation.

4 IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGN AND CLOSURE

The results presented in this paper provide an insight to the variability in estimated shear strength,
observed pore pressure response and inferred equilibrium pore pressure conditions in an upstream-raised
TSF, as afforded by periodic CPTu sounding campaigns and governed by the sounding location
(proximal or distal) and the operating status of the facility. CPTu data from TSF 1, which was fallow
for a short period of time prior to the first sounding, indicate a steady increase in estimated su values at
depth around the perimeter of the facility, but a decrease in estimated strength closer to the central
decant pond. The decrease in estimated su values in the finer central tailings corresponds to a significant
increase in pore pressure resulting from deposition recommencing just after the first CPTu sounding
campaign, and remaining in operation thereafter.
Data from TSF 2, which was in operation for all three CPTu sounding campaigns, illustrate the
correspondence of estimated su with pore pressure, with one location showing a minor increase and the
other a minor decrease. The recorded u2 data and inferred equilibrium conditions indicate a moderate to
notable increase in pore pressure with time at all three proximal locations, with the greater increase
associated with sounding locations somewhat farther upstream (toward the facility centre), a direct result
of ongoing deposition.
The results from TSF 3, which was fallow for all three sounding campaigns, show a reduction in pore
pressure response (and inferred equilibrium pore pressure conditions) due to drain down at the proximal
CPTu site, and a slight increase, postulated to be the result of rain-water recharge and associated surface
ponding, at the distal CPTu location. The estimated 170 kPa strength gain associated with drain down
and surface desiccation is considered significant.
Based on the data interpreted, the average increase in estimated su for proximal locations, with no
significant change in pore pressure, is about 15 to 30 kPa per annum. Where there is localized pore

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pressure development, the strengths are likely to remain the same or reduce somewhat. For distal
locations, increases in estimated su in the order of 10 kPa per annum can be expected, with no significant
change in pore pressure.

5 CONCLUSIONS

The data presented in this paper indicate that the strength and pore pressure behavior are, as expected,
directly related to operation of the facility. It is clear that pore pressure development can have a
significant impact on su and can impact the viability of ongoing upstream wall raises, from a stability
perspective, through reduced su values resulting from poor operational control. A continual increase in
su can be achieved near the perimeter embankment provided that there is good control of the location
and size of the operational decant pond, limiting the potential for pore pressure development in the
proximal locations. However, the data also indicate that at locations where pore pressures are allowed to
increase, there can be a reduction in the estimated su values.
After operations cease, there is evidence of drain down and significant increases in strengths. Given
the significant strength gains associated with effective drain down conditions (TSF 3 proximal CPTu
location), and the apparent reduction in estimated su values upon re-saturation (TSF 1 and TSF 2), the
results presented in this paper reinforce the importance reducing the potential for seepage infiltration in
the post-closure period. The design and timely construction of an appropriate closure cover, typically
shedding or store-and-release for upstream-raised TSFs, is key. Implicit in this comment is the
increased risk to geotechnical stability in using a fallow or decommissioned upstream-raised TSF for site
water management.
The successful design, operation and closure of an upstream-raised TSF is dependent on attaining
adequate density and drained strength conditions in the coarse tailings that underlie the (typically)
compacted embankment shell. These mandatory geotechnical conditions, in turn, require a strongly net-
evaporative climate and systematic rotation of tailings deposition points to develop thin layers of
hydraulically-sorted coarse tailings that can dry, consolidate and gain strength over time. The results of
the successive CPTu sounding campaigns undertaken at the subject gold mine in Western Australia
suggest that a typical gain in estimated su of 30 kPa per annum can be considered for design, subject to
the avoidance of localized ponding near the embankment with commensurate increases in pore pressure,
prolonged deposition of finer tailings (slimes) in the foundation zone or other undesirable variations in
operating practice or conditions.
The successive CPTu sounding campaigns have allowed for a knowledge base to be developed for the
various facilities, improving the ability for the designer to predict future conditions and reducing the risk
associated with ongoing operations and continual upstream raising. The selected results presented in
this paper show the value that can be gained from CPTu campaigns, particularly when coincident
locations are able to be targeted.

6 REFERENCES

Lunne, T., Robertson, P.K. and Powell, J.J.M., 1997. Cone Penetration Testing in Geotechnical Practice, Spon
Press, London.
Pournaghiazar, M., Russell, A.R. and Khalili, N., 2012. Linking cone penetration resistances measured in
calibration chambers and the field, Geotechnique Letters, Vol. 2, pp. 29 – 35.
Pournaghiazar, M., Russell, A.R. and Khalili, N., 2013. The cone penetration test in unsaturated sands,
Geotechnique, Vol. 63, No. 14, pp. 1209 – 1220.

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