GEOTECHNICAL DESIGN (CE-423)

LECTURE # 7
Contents
➢ Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
➢ Bearing Capacity from SPT
➢ Cone Penetration Test (CPT)
➢ Bearing Capacity from CPT

Youtube Link for this Lecture:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWOhlULVKy4&list=PLV0z_d5pzXiqh8rtEji7kc0ZZyArwkIS6&index=6

Engr. Hassan Khan

Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department, SUIT, Peshawar
 Bearing Capacity from Correlations

➢ Several in-situ tests define the stratigraphy and obtain direct measurements of
soil properties and geotechnical parameters.
➢ There are several correlations used to calculate bearing capacity from the
following two most common tests.

1. Standard penetration test (SPT)

2. Cone penetration test (CPT)

Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
 The Standard Penetration Test (SPT)

➢ Drill a boring to the depth of the test

➢ Insert the SPT sampler (split-spoon sampler) into the

boring

➢ Raise a 63.5kg (140lb) hammer to a distance of 760mm

(30in) and allow it to fall. Repeat this process until the
sampler has penetrated 450mm (18in).

➢ Record the number of hammer blows required for each

150mm (6in.) interval

➢ Compute the N value by summing the blow counts for the

last 300mm (12in) of penetration

➢ Remove the SPT sampler and soil sample

 The Standard Penetration Test (SPT)

➢ Thick wall (0.25in) cylinder

➢ Sampling tube is split along the length

➢ Hammered into the ground

➢ Refusal if N>50 for any 6inch penetration

or N>100 for last 12inch penetration or 10
successive blows produce no advance
 The Standard Penetration Test (SPT)

Corrected SPT N Value

➢ The measured N value may be corrected by considering a number of key factors:

𝑪𝑬 . 𝑪𝑩 . 𝑪𝑺 . 𝑪𝑹 . 𝑵
𝑵𝟕𝟎 =
𝟎. 𝟕𝟎
➢ Where,
N70 = SPT N value corrected for field procedure
CE = Hammer Efficiency
CB = Borehole diameter correction
CS = Sampler correction
CR = Rod length correction
N = Measured SPT value
 Bearing Capacity from SPT

➢ The measured N value may be corrected by considering a number of key factors:

𝑵
𝒒𝒂 = 𝑲𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑩 ≤ 𝑭𝟒
𝑭𝟏
𝟐
𝑵 𝑩 + 𝑭𝟑
𝒒𝒂 = 𝑲𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑩 > 𝑭𝟒
𝑭𝟐 𝑩
➢ Where,
qa = Allowable bearing capacity for 25mm settlement
𝐷
𝐾𝑑 = 1 + 0.33 ≤ 1.33
𝐵
 Example Problem
Given Data:
𝑵𝟔𝟎 = 𝟐𝟒, 𝑫 = 𝟏𝒎, 𝑩 = 𝟑𝒎, 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 = 𝟒𝟎𝐦𝐦
Required Data:
Allowable Bearing Capacity for 40mm settlement = qa’ = ?

Solution:
➢ Since these equations are developed for 𝑵𝟕𝟎 and 𝑵𝟓𝟓 therefore, first we will convert 𝑵𝟔𝟎 .
60 60
𝑁70 = 𝑁60 𝑋 => 𝑁70 = 24 𝑋 ≈ 20 < 24
70 70
➢ As B > F4, so;
𝟐
𝑵 𝑩 + 𝑭𝟑 𝑫
𝒒𝒂 = 𝑲𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑲𝒅 = 𝟏 + 𝟎. 𝟑𝟑 ≤ 𝟏. 𝟑𝟑
𝑭𝟐 𝑩 𝑩
 Example Problem

Solution (cont.): 𝐷
𝐾𝑑 = 1 + 0.33 ≤ 1.33
𝐵
1
=> 𝐾𝑑 = 1 + 0.33 = 𝟏. 𝟏𝟏
3

And qa for 25mm settlement is;

2
𝑁 𝐵 + 𝐹3
𝑞𝑎 = 𝐾𝑑
𝐹2 𝐵
2
20 3 + 0.3
=> 𝑞𝑎 = 𝑋 1.11 = 𝟒𝟒𝟕. 𝟕 𝒌𝑷𝒂
0.06 3

Therefore, qa for 40mm settlement is;

40
𝑞𝑎′ = 𝑞𝑎 = 447.7 X 40/25 = 716 kPa
25
Cone Penetration Test (CPT)

➢ A common in-situ test method

➢ Once known as the Dutch cone

Two types:
1. Mechanical cone
2. Electronic cone
 CPT Parameters

1. Measured Cone Resistance (qc)

2. Tip Resistance or
corrected cone resistance (qt)

3. Sleeve Friction (fs)

4. Pore water Pressure (Ub)

5. Friction Ration;
Rf = fs/qt X 100%
 Cone Penetration Test (CPT)

Corrected Cone Resistance (qt)

➢ The corrected Cone Resistance is calculated as;

𝒒𝒕 = 𝒒𝒄 + 𝒖𝒃 𝟏 − 𝒂
where
𝟐
𝒅𝟐 𝒅
𝒂 = 𝒏𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒂 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐 = =
𝑫𝟐 𝑫

In the absence of 𝒖𝒃 , 𝒒𝒕 = 𝒒𝒄
 Bearing Capacity from CPT
➢ For Cohesionless Soil;

𝟏.𝟓
𝒌𝒈
𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒑: 𝒒𝒖 = 𝟐𝟖 − 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟓𝟐 𝟑𝟎𝟎 − 𝒒𝒄 ( 𝟐 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒔𝒇)
𝒄𝒎
𝟏.𝟓
𝒌𝒈
𝑺𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒆: 𝒒𝒖 = 𝟒𝟖 − 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟗 𝟑𝟎𝟎 − 𝒒𝒄 ( 𝟐 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒔𝒇)
𝒄𝒎

➢ For Clay:
𝒌𝒈
𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒑: 𝒒𝒖 = 𝟐 + 𝟎. 𝟐𝟖𝒒𝒄 ( 𝟐 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒔𝒇)
𝒄𝒎
𝒌𝒈
𝑺𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒆: 𝒒𝒖 = 𝟓 + 𝟎. 𝟑𝟒𝒒𝒄 ( 𝟐 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒔𝒇)
𝒄𝒎
 Thank You
Engr. Hassan Khan
Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department, SUIT, Peshawar
Email: hassan.civil@suit.edu.pk