Paul W. Mayne ~ and Glenn J.

Nix I

Gmax-qcRelationships for Clays

REFERENCE: Mayne, P. W. and Rix, G. J., "G~-q~ Relationships
for Clays," Geotechnical Testing Journal, GTJODJ, Vol. 16, No. 1,
March 1993, pp. 54-60.
ABSTRACT: Data are compiled from 31 clay sites where in-situ meas-
urements of initial tangent shear modulus (Gm~x)and cone tip resist-
ance (q~) were available. Values of G .... were obtained from either
seismic cone penetration (SCFT), crosshole (CHT), downhole (DHT),
or spectral analysis of surface wave (SASW) tests, and readings of
q~ were taken either by regular cone penetration (CPT) or piezocone
(CPTU) tests. Multiple regression analyses indicate that in-situ values
of G~,~ depend on void ratio (eo), overburden stress (~r'~o),and stress
history (OCR), as previously established from laboratory resonant
column tests. Since q, also depends on cr'~oand OCR, a moderate
association between G , ~ and q¢ is possible, despite their incompat-
ible strain levels. For preliminary correlative purposes, a power func-
tion relates in-situ G .... qc, and eo in clay deposits having a wide
range in plasticity, sensitivity, stress history, and consistency.
KEYWORDS: cone penetrometer, clays, cohesive soils, correlation
technique, elasticity modulus, field data, field investigations, geo-
physics, penetration resistance, penetration tests, piezocones, seismic
waves, shear wave, wave velocity, in situ testing, seismic investi-
gations
In preliminary projects, field penetration tests are often used
to estimate the initial tangent shear modulus (Gmax) of soils. Early
relationships related G ~ to the standard penetration test (SPT)
for a variety of soil types (Ohta and Goto 1978; Imai and Ton-
ouchi 1982). More recently, the cone penetration test (CPT) and
dilatometer test (DMT) have been utilized to profile Gm,~ in
sands and cohesionless soils (Jamiolkowski et al. 1988; Baldi et
al. 1989; Hryciw 1990; Rix and Stokoe 1991). Only a few site-
specific correlations have been attempted between Gma~ and q,
in clays (Bouckovalas et al, 1989; Jaime and R o m p 1988) and it
appears that to date no generalized correlation has been devel-
oped for clays and cohesive silts (Lunne et al. 1990). It is the
purpose of this study to examine relationships between G,,~ and
q~ for many clays worldwide. However, it is shown that a valid
global correlation is hindered by the fact that G~,~ strongly de-
pends on the in-situ void ratio (eo), while q,. in clays is little
affected by eo.
Laboratory resonant column tests on sands and clays have
indicated that Gmax is a function of void ratio (eo), m e a n effective
stress [(r'o = E~(~r~ + g2 + crY)l, overconsolidation ratio ( O C R ) ,
and plasticity index (PI). Reviews of the available data have
~Associate professor and assistant professor, respectively, Georgia
Institute of Technology, School of Civil Engineering, Atlanta, GA
30332-0355.
54
resulted in the following empirical expression (Hardin and Black
1969; Hardin 1978; Vucetic and Dobry 1991)
G ~ , = 625F~(p,cr') ° 5 0 C R k (1)
where p , = atmospheric pressure in the same units as G .... and
or'o (Note: 1 p , = 1 atm ~ 1 tsf = 1 kg/cm z = 100 kPa), k =
empirical exponent related to plasticity (k ~ PI°-72/50 -< 0.5),
and Fe = void ratio function. Based on a review of the original
Hardin and Black (1969) formulation in which Fe = 0.51
(2.973 - eo)2/(1 + eo), Hardin (1978)introduced Fe = 1/(0.3 + 0.Teo2)
as an improvement so that the function covered a wider range
of void ratios than originally investigated. More recently, Ja-
miolkowski, Leroueil, and Lo Presti (1991) have suggested Fe =
1/e ~-3 from an even larger database study. The mean effective
stress corresponding to geostatic states of stress is often evaluated
as ~" = (r'vo(1 + 21(o)/3, in which Ko = the lateral stress coef-
ficient. For many soils, Ko may also be expressed as a function
of O C R , and therefore ~r'o and O C R may not be i n d e p e n d e n t
variables. In addition, the expression in Eq 1 was derived solely
from consideration of laboratory resonant column tests and it is
of interest to investigate if similar trends are observed from field
data obtained via in-situ measurements.
While resonant column tests provide a rational means of de-
termining Gm,~ for soils in the laboratory, the effects of sample
disturbance, aging, reconsolidation, and soil fabric can alter the
value characteristic of the field deposit. In addition, the in-situ
profiles of eo, ~r'o, O C R , and PI will often not be known with
sufficient detail to permit an accurate estimate. Consequently,
the direct m e a s u r e m e n t of the in-situ shear wave velocity (Vs)
provides the most reliable and certain means of obtaining the
true profile of Gma × at a given site. Shear wave velocities can be
measured using crosshole tests ( C H T ) , downhote tests ( D H T ) ,
spectral analysis of surface waves (SASW), and other techniques.
Once a profile of Vs has been obtained, Gm, x is calculated using
isotropic elastic theory via
Gm,,= OV~ (e)
where p = ~t/g = mass density of the soil, ~/ = total unit weight,
and g --- gravitational acceleration constant = 9.80 m/s z =
32 ft/s 2.
Since field measurements of Gma x a r e obtained on undisturbed
natural soil deposits, it seems only appropriate that possible cor-
relative trends be investigated with in-situ test data taken at the
same site. For two natural sands in Italy, Baldi et al. (1989)
noted a relationship between field measurements of shear wave
© 1993 by the American Society for Testing and Materials

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velocity (V~) and CPT data of the form
Italian sands: Vs = 277(q~)°A30r'~o)°27
where V~ is in m/s, and cone tip resistance (qc) and effective
vertical overburden stress (cr'~o) are in units of kPa.
Rix and Stokoe (1991) reviewed the field data from the two
Italian sites, three U.S. sites, and one calibration chamber test
series on sands and suggested
Quartz sands: G,~ax = 1634(qc)°25°(~r'~o)°375
where G . . . . q~, and tr'o are in kPa. Equation 4 indicates that the
low-amplitude shear modulus is related to overburden stress, as
observed in laboratory testing and noted in Eq 1. Apparently,
the other variable (q~) is accounting for the effects of the other
parameters (eo, Ko, and OCR).
For three sites consisting of highly plastic clays near Mexico
City, Jaime and Romo (1988) found that V~ measured using both
D H T and suspension logging techniques was related to electric
cone penetration test (ECPT) data
Mexico City clays: Vs (m/s) ~ 0.1q~ (kPa)
These natural volcanic clays are rather unusual materials, how-
ever, with in-place void ratios typically 3 < eo < 8 and 200 < PI
< 300. Jaime and Romo (1988) also showed that Gm,x from
resonant column tests on Mexico City clays have a strong de-
pendence upon eo, although this was not investigated in their
correlative relationships with field measurements.
Using CHT and mechanical cone penetration tests (MCPT) in
two Greek clays, Bouckovalas et al. (1989) determined the fol-
lowing empirical relationship
Greek clays: Gmax = 2.8(qc) 1"4°
where Gma x and qc are both in kPa and the coefficient of deter-
mination was reported as r 2 = 0.94 for n = 35 data points.
In the last several years, in-situ test data from a number of
well-documented clay sites have been reported in the open lit-
erature and special published reports. Many of these sites have
been tested with the new seismic piezocone, which permits direct
measurements of Vs and q~ at the same locations, as well as
corrected cone tip resistances (qr) for pore water pressure effects.
It is therefore of interest to summarize these data and discern
some of the major factors affecting a Gm~x-qcrelationship in these
soils.
At this point, it is important to make a general comment about
correlations between penetration resistance and initial tangent
shear modulus. Wroth (1984) states that successful correlations
should be "based on a physical appreciation of why the properties
can be expected to be related." Gm~x is a small-strain property
measured at shear strains less than about 10 -3 percent, while qc
is a large-strain property involving failure of the soil surrounding
the cone. From these arguments, there is little reason to expect
a valid relationship between Gma~ and q~ because each are af-
fected by soil behavioral factors occurring at opposite ends of
the strain spectrum. However, G,,~x and q~ show a functional
dependence on similar parameters (i.e., confining stress and stress
history), and therefore this common association may be used to
develop correlations between the two parameters. Similar rea-
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MAYNE AND RIX ON CLAY RELATIONSHIPS 55
soning was followed by Baldi et al. (1989) in relating Gma x and
qc for quartzitic sands.
(3)
V,-q~ Database
A listing of the 31 clay sites where both in-situ shear wave
velocity (Vs) measurements and profiles of cone tip resistance
have been measured is given in Table 1. These clay deposits
include stress states ranging from soft normally consolidated clays
to stiff heavily overconsolidated materials (1 < OCR < 100 +).
(4) The geologic origins of the clays are quite diverse and include
glacial, marine, deltaic, lacustrine, and alluvial deposits, with
different mineralogies and ages. The database contains clays of
wide variation in index properties including low to very high
sensitivities (2 < S, < 200 + ) , lean to very plastic clays (8 < PI
< 300), and low to high void ratios (0.5 < eo < 10+). Most of
the clays are intact materials, although several are fissured and
a few are cemented. The softest and most unusual clays include
the sensitive to quick Swedish clays reported by Larsson and
Mulabdi6 (1991) and highly plastic Mexico City clays reported
by Jaime and Romo (1988).
A t ten of the sites, the shear wave velocity was obtained using
(5) conventional crosshole (CHT) or downhole tests (DHT) with
receivers lowered into boreholes. Surface wave (SASW) tests
were used to determine Vs profiles at four sites. At 20 sites,
seismic cone penetration tests (SCPT) in which a receiver is
mounted above the penetrometer to permit velocity measure-
ments without the need for a borehole were used (Campanella
et al. 1985; Robertson et al. 1986). The SCPT is actually a mod-
ified version of the D H T and provides ideal data for Gmax-q¢
correlations because both parameters are measured at exactly
the same location. Results of special suspension P- and S-wave
logging techniques have also been utilized (Jaime and Romo
1988). A few sites were tested using more than one technique,
(6) as indicated in Table 1. Considering all sites, the measured Vs
ranged from 25 to 700 m/s, with corresponding 0.7 < Gma~ <
800 MPa.
Profiles of cone tip resistance (qc) for all sites are also known
from either separate CPT or CPTU soundings, or from the cone
penetration portion of the SCPT. Current knowledge concerning
cone penetration testing in clays necessitates that measured qc
values be corrected (qr) for pore water pressure effects acting
on unequal areas of the cone geometry (Campanella et al. 1985;
Powell et al. 1988). Consequently, piezocones are required if a
truly proper assessment of cone resistance is to be attained.
Unfortunately, all sources of data did not provide such data, and
thus, qc values were used in the statistical analyses. A significant
number of references (NGI, SGI, BRE, UBC), however, did
provide the proper qr profiles for consideration. Magnitudes of
cone tip resistances (qc) at the test sites range over two orders
of magnitude from 0.1 to 10 MPa.
A total of 481 paired observations of Gm~ and qc at the 31
sites are plotted in Fig. 1. Data have been grouped into seven
geographic locations, with seven sites in U.S./Canada (n = 67),
one site in Italy (n = 32), three sites in Mexico (n = 122), two
sites in Norway (n = 31), nine sites in Sweden (n = 126), five
sites in the United Kingdom (n = 55), and four sites in Greece
(n = 48). The equation of the best-fit regression line from an
assumed log-log relationship is given by
All clay sites: Gmax = 2.78qc 1"335 (7)
56 GEOTECHNICALTESTING JOURNAL

where G m a x and qc are both in kPa. The coefficient of determi-
nation (r 2) is 0.713, indicating that 71.3% of the observed var-
iability in ama x is attributable to qc. It is interesting to note that
Eq 7 is nearly identical to the expression given by Bouckavalas
et al. (1989) in Eq 6. T o improve the accuracy of the estimate,
it is necessary to take a more fundamental look at the specific
factors affecting both G m a x and q~.
Interdependent Relationships
Two factors which influence both the initial tangent shear mod-
ulus and cone tip resistance in clays include the m e a n effective
stress (~') and overconsolidation ratio (OCR). Therefore, Gmax
and qc can be approximately related in a rational manner. Degree
of fissuring of the clay has an important effect o n in-situ meas-
urements as well (Kulhawy and Mayne 1990) and should also be
considered. Fissuring is not easily quantified as a parameter for
evaluation, however.
Initial Tangent Shear Modulus
As noted previously in Eq 1, Gmax is related to effective con-
fining stress level. For a large n u m b e r of the data (n = 364),
the profile of void ratio (co), effective vertical stress (tr'o), and
stress history (try, or O C R = ~r~Ar'o) was reported or relatively
well known. Therefore, regression statistics were investigated
between G~ax and state of stress, including void ratio and effec-
tive stress level (~,',o, tr;,o, and tr'). For this purpose, the effective
lateral stress was evaluated as cr~,o = Ko~r'o using the follow-
ing empirical expression for Ko derived from self-boring pres-
suremeter test (SBPMT) data obtained in 44 intact and 12 fis-
sured clays (Kulhawy and Mayne 1990; Mayne and Kul-
hawy 1990)
Clays: Ko = 0.47OCR °-53 (8)
with n = 159 and r 2 = 0.763. The mean stress was calculated
as or'o = ½(~r'~o + 2¢r;~o). For all of the available data, the least

TABLE 1.Database listing of clay sites with Vs and qc profiles.

Site/Location Soil Type ln-Situ Tests References/Sources

Agios Stefanos, Greece Soft coastal clay CHT, MCPT Bouckovalas et al. (1989)
Alalkomenes, Greece Lacustrine clay CHT, MCPT Kalteziotis et al. (1990)
Anchorage, Alaska Sensitive NC silty clay CHT, ECPT Olsen (1989)
B;,ickebol, Sweden Sensitive post-glacial clay SCPT, CPTU Larsson and Mulabdi~ (1991)
Bothkenner, UK NC organic clay/silt SCPT, SASW, CPTU Hepton (1988); Powell, et al. (1988)
Brent Cross, UK HOC fissured London SASW, ECPT, CPTU Abbiss (1981); Lunne, et al. (1986)
clay
Drammen, Norway Sensitive marine clay CHT, SCPT, CPTU Campanella et al. (1986)
Fucino, Italy Soft cemented clay CHT, SCPT, CPTU, SASW Burghignoli et al. (1991)
Houston, TX OC desiccated clay CHT, ECPT Mahar and O'Neill (1983)
Kalamata 1, Greece Very stiff alluvial clay CHT, MCPT Bouckovalas et al. (1989)
Kalamata 2, Greece Very sliff alluvial clay CHT, MCPT Kalteziotis, et al. (1990)
Killingholme, UK Stiff silty sandy clay SCPT, CPTU Baker and Gardener (1988)
Langley, B.C. Soft glacio-marine clay SCPT, CPTU Grieg et al. (1988); Hryciw (1990)
Lilla Mell6sa, Sweden Soft organic clay SCPT, CPTU Larsson and Mulabdi6 (1991)
Lower 232nd St., BC NC sensitive glacial clay SCPT, CPTU Campanella et al. (1988, 1989)
Madingley, UK HOC fissured Gault clay ECPT, CPTU, SASW Morris and Abbiss (1979); Lunne et al. (1986)
McDonald's Farm, BC NC deltaic clayey silt SCPT, CPTU Campanella, et al. (1986)
Munkedal, Sweden Very sensitive clay SCPT, CPTU Larsson and Mulabdi~ (1991)
Norrk6ping, Sweden Soft grey varved clay SCPT, CPTU Larsson and Mulabdi6 (1991)
North Wales, UK Stiff clay over salad SCPT Hepton (1988)
Ons6y, Norway Soft marine LOC clay SCPT, CPTU Lacasse and Lunne (1983); Hryciw (1990)
Richards Island, NWT Stiff clay over sand SCPT Kurfurst (1989)
S~ir6 Road 6/900, Sweden Soft highly organic clay SCPT, CPTU Larsson and Mulabdi6 (1991)
S/ir6 Road 7/600, Sweden Organic clayey gyttja SCPT, CPTU Larsson and Mulabdi6 (1991)
Sk~-Edeby, Sweden Soft plastic clay SCPT, CPTU Larsson and Mulabdi6 (1991)
Texcoco CAO, Mexico Soft NC volcanic clay DHT, SPSL, ECPT Iaime and Romo (1988)
Texcoco SCT, Mexico Soft LOC volcanic clay DHT, SPSL, ECPT Jaime and Romo (1988)
Tuve, Sweden Soft organic marine clay SCPT, CPTU Larsson and Mulabdi~ (1991)
V/lien, Sweden Soft organic clay SCPT, CPTU Larsson and Mulabdi6 (1991)
Xochimilco, Mexico Soft volcanic clay DHT, SPSL, ECPT Jaime and Romo (1988)
Wildlife Site, CA Silt/sand/stiff clay SCPT, CPTU Robertson et al. (1986)

NOTES:
NC = normally consolidated
LOC = lightly overconsolidated
OC = overconsolidated
HOC = heavily overconsolidated
CHT = crosshole test
DHT = downhole test
SASW = spectral analysis of surface waves
SPSL = suspension P- and S-wave logging technique
SCPT = seismic cone penetration test
ECPT = electric cone
MCPT = mechanical cone
CPTU = piezocone

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 MAYNE AND RIX ON CLAY RELATIONSHIPS 57

squares analyses gave the following relationships (n = 364) categories of clay: (1) intact with low void ratio, (2) intact with
high void ratio, and (3) fissured clays.
(F = 0.424) Gmax = 123(er'o)"u" (9a) The effect of void ratio o n Gma x is shown in Fig. 3. Again,
data are separated according to geographic location. Regression
(F = 0.607) Gmax = 132(Grho)"230 (9b) analyses indicated (n = 364)

(r ~ = 0.569) Gm.. = 100((r') ~~4x (9c) (r 2 = 0.738) Gmax (MPa) = 47.6/e~o TM (10)

where Gma x and tr" are in kPa. The regression relating Gma x to Multiple regression analyses were also conducted in log-log
tr~,o apparently gave a slightly better fit than that with ~'. Figure format to provide power function expressions for Gma x in terms
2 illustrates the trend between in-situ Gmax and ~'o for three of several variables. The initial regressions considered stress state

10 6
Regression + ~ + %++~
n = 481 . -t....Y:+~
~" 10 s
r2 = 0.713 o~ ~ o o~
D_
v

g, _

E 10 4
d,o*~l~o~ 0~ [] o US./Canada
o~ ~-q~° ~ ° ~ Italy
O3
=~_p~ ~ o Mexico
!
c 10 s X :~@ * Norway
~ • Sweden
\~ ~ 91:17 n 1.335 • U.K.
~max ---- ~ . v - - qc " "
+ Greece
102
100 1000 10000
Cone Tip Resistance, qc (kPa)
FIG. 1 - - A p p a r e n t relation between initial tangent shear modulus (Gin,x) from in-situ
measurements and cone tip resistance (qc) for 31 different clays located worldwide.

106 106
Regression
• Intact(e<3) J
o Intact (e > 3) oJ~/" o | r2 = 0 . 7 3 8
n [] Fissured o °~.~ "~" 10 s ~o~ n=364
10 5 Q.
v

[] 0

E x U.S./Canada " ;ot°~i ' = ~ o % ~ •[][]

(3 10 4 E 10 4
Italy ++'-.i1~¢1,o ~o
'~.~ ~
, OIP • "I~0 "
Mexico
G)I
l-- O9 Norway [] " ~ ' ~
10 e b. 103 Sweden -. o o,

/ \Regression Line (n = 364) U.K.

/ Gmax'--100 a, 1"24' (r2 = 0.569) Greece Gmax = 476 Pa e1'544
102 . . . . . . . . I . . . . . . . . I . . . . . . . . .
102 I = , , , , ,=I I . . . . . . .

10 100 1000 0.1 0.2 0.5 1 2 5 10

Mean Effective Stress, o o' (kPa) Void Ratio, e o
FIG. 2--1n-situ Gmax related to mean effective stress (t~'o). FIG. 3--1n-situ Gm,x as a function o f void ratio (eo).

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58 GEOTECHNICAL TESTING JOURNAL

in terms of confining stress level and void ratio (n = 364) is given as (Jamiolkowski et al. 1985)

t 0 691
(r 2 = 0.886) Gm~,, = 21680r~o)- /eol 315 (lla) s,l~'vo = 0.23OCR °'8° (16)

(r 2 = 0.895) Gmax = "~u/K~ho.t')9~O(~'

]0.721].o1.138.Wo (lib) Adopting a value Nkr = 15 and (ri = trvo, Eq 15 becomes

t 0 740
(r z = 0.900) Gmax = 1926((ro) /eo1 183 (llc) q r = Crvo + 3.45(r'voOCR°8° (17)

In this case, the use of or'o gives the highest r 2. The effects of indicating that cone tip resistance is primarily a function of ef-
vertical and horizontal stresses can also be investigated as sep- fective confining stress level and stress history. Alternative
arate variables, as suggested by Jamiolkowski, Leroueil, and expressions could also be formulated in terms of lateral or mean
LoPresti (1991) stress. Simple regression lines for the effect of confining stress
give (n = 364)
t 0.268 I 0.479
(r a = 0.900) Gm,x = 1905(Cr~o1 0rho) /eoI 184 (121
(ra = 0.555) qc = 26(g'o) °-73z (18a)
which also gives a high multiple coefficient of determination for
these data, indicating that 90% of the observed variation in Gm~ (r 2 = 0.753) qc = 29((r~o)°786 (18b)
is jointly accounted for by ~r'~o,~r;,o, and eo.
Finally, only marginal improvement is attained if stress history, (r 2 = 0.719) qc = 240r'o) °8°° (18c)
in terms of OCR, is included as an independent variable in the
multiple regression analysis because the apparent effect of OCR Figure 4 shows the relationship between qc and mean effective
has already been utilized to quantify the values of (r;~o and (r'o. stress (Or'o) for intact and fissured clays. Ideally, the corrected
For the database, the use of ~r'~o is considered appropriate with cone tip resistance (qT) should be investigated using the profile
regressions involving OCR since these parameters can be taken of net resistance (qr - (rvo) and normalized parameters if a
as independent of each other (n = 364) rigorous analysis involving the CPT is to be performed (Wroth
1988). However, with the present database, difficulties occur
(r z = 0.900) Gmax = 1 3 6 6 ( Ct r ~0 748
o ) O C R (! 239 /eo1 I84 (13) since piezocone data were not reported for all cases and, for
several sites, the high void ratios and low total unit weights
where cr"o and G ~ are in units of kPa. A review ofEqs 9 through presented uncertainties in calculations. Additional analyses using
13 indicates that field measurements of Gmax show a power law a reduced database with only the piezocone data and (qr - ~vo)
dependency on confining stress (tr',o), void ratio (eo), and stress showed no evidence of improvement. Therefore, the measured
history (OCR) similar to expressions derived from laboratory value qc was taken as the dependent variable in the regression
resonant column test data (Vucetic and Dobry 1991). studies.
Multiple regressions for the database for q~ which considered
both confining stress and void ratio, indicate the following re-
Cone Tip Resistance
A similar regression analysis may be undertaken to evaluate
factors affecting the magnitude of cone tip resistance (q~) in clays.
Theoretically, q~ is commonly expressed in terms of the un- 10000
drained shear strength (s,)
n • Intact(e<3'
5000
qc = (rvo + s,N~ (14) V o Intact(e>3
0
Fissured
in which (r~o = total vertical stress and Nc -- bearing factor. 2000
More precisely, the formulation should utilize the corrected cone 0¢-
tip resistance (qr) in the manner 1000
(/) Regression •*
q~ = or, + s . N ~ (15) 500
0 r2 = 0.719 .~
in which a~ = total stress (~,.o, crho, or tro, depending upon specific rr"
theory employed), and Nkr = bearing factor for corrected cone c).
°~
n = 364 o,..,~•vo~_.~,~
tip data. Konrad and Law (1987) present a summary of the
different theoretical models which have been proposed based on
I--
¢)
¢-
2001oo
limit plasticity, cavity expansion, strain path, and finite element o
methods. For the subset database in which eo, ~'o, and O C R are 0 ./.. ..... ......
known, most sites were tested by piezocones so that all data have
the proper corrected values of qr except the sites at Houston I0 I O0 1000
and Mexico City.
Assuming a direct simple shear mode, the approximate expres-
MeanEffectiveStress,oo' (kPa)
sion for normalized undrained strength in terms of stress history FIG. 4 - - C o n e tip resistance as a function o f mean effective stress.

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 MAYNEANDRIXONCLAYRELATIONSHIPS 59

lations (n = 364) in which qc and Gmax are both in units of kPa. The trend between
measured G~ax and the expression given by Eq 21 is illustrated
(r 2 = 0.619) q~ = 48(OJvo)°642eo-°'279 (19a) by Fig. 5. It is interesting to note that the functional term ac-
counting for void ratio in Eq 20 is very similar to that proposed
(r 2 = 0.756) q~ = 35(Crho)°75Seo-°°63 (19b) by Jamiolkowski, Leroueil, and LoPresti (1991) based on lab-
oratory test data. Finally, Eq 21 may be expressed so that it is
(r 2 = 0.730) q~ = 33(OJo)°747eo-°A25 (19C) dimensionless

Equations 19a, 19b, and 19c indicate that qc depends strongly
on confining stress level, but is relatively independent of void
ratio. Again, since cr'~oand O C R are independent parameters, a
higher level multiple regression can be performed for this subset
to give (n = 364)
(r 2 = 0.760) qc = 21(cr'~o)°745eo-°°41OCR°436
Reviewing Eqs 18 to 20, it is evident that q, depends on con-
fining stress level and stress history, but is relatively unaffected
by eo.
Gm.,-q~ Relationships for Clays
Based on the aforementioned rationalization and statistical
evaluation of available field data, G~a~ can be related to q~ as
indicated by Eq 7 since Gm~ is shown to be a function of stress
level (~'~o), stress history (OCR), and void ratio (eo). The cone
tip resistance acts as substitute for the independent parameters
~'~o and OCR. However, q~ is weakly related to void ratio in
clays and cannot account for this facet of G m a x. Consequently,
a better relation appears to be (n = 418)
(r 2 = 0.901) Gmax = 406(qc)°69S/eto"3°
10 s • under NSF Grant No. BCS-9110173 by the second author. Ap-
Intact (e < 3)
o Intact(e>3)
ft.. 10s ~ Fissured
v
(r z = 0.901) Gmax -- 99.5(pa)°3°5(qc)°695/e~o 13° (22)
w h e r e p , = atmospheric reference pressure in same units as area X
and qc.
Conclusions
(20)
A database of in-situ shear wave velocity measurements and
cone penetration resistances at 31 clay sites indicates a general
trend between the initial tangent shear modulus (Gr,ax), cone tip
resistance (qc), and void ratio (eo) in a power function format.
The statistically derived relationships for field Gmax in terms of
confining stress level (Cr'vo), stress history (OCR), and eo are
consistent with the factors known to affect laboratory resonant
column tests. Since qc also depends on ~r'vo and OCR, shear
modulus and cone tip resistance can be associated, despite the
fact that they are operable at different ends of the strain spec-
trum. The strong dependence of Gmax upon void ratio, however,
requires that qc is only successful as a profiler of G m a x if com-
panion profiles of eo are known. This is not usually the case and
supports the recommendation of making direct measurements of
Vs in situ using devices such as the seismic piezocone in order
to obtain the initial tangent shear modulus.
(21)
Acknowledgments
This study represents a collaboration of efforts directed at in-
situ testing, including piezocone research funded under NSF Grant
No. MSS-9108234 by the first author and for seismic tomography
/ preciation is extended to NSF project directors, Mehmet Tumay
and Clifford Astill, respectively.
...~ ~
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