CE 601: In-situ shear strength testing

Field Test: In-situ shear strength Testing

In-situ shear strength

g 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)

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 are 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 ' C N .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

N 60

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''

'

Dr (%)

consistency
i t

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
h
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

Frictional resistance q f

Friction Ratio

0 .2

0 .4

0 .6

0
0 .8

Depth Below Excavated Surface (m)

qc

10%
Typical range
15

Cohesive
Granular

0%

SPT Blow Count, N1(60)

(MPa)
6 8 10 12 14

(Blows/300 mm)
10
20

Relative Density, Dr
(%)

30

20

40

60

80

100

Fine Sand
w/ Shells
(SP)

1
1

Interbedded
Fine Sand
and
Silty Sand
(SP-SM)

4
4
4

qf

surface area of friction sleeve

fr

Qt Qc
Af

x-sectional area off cone = 10 cm2

CPT Cone Resistance, qc1

Interpreted
Soil Profile
0

Qc
Ac

With
h ffriction sleeve
l
add
dd its self
lf weight
h as well
ll Qt = Qc + Qf

qc

Tip resistance

5
5
5

6
6

Fine Silty
Sand
(SM)

7
7
7

8
8
8

Gray Silty
Clay (CL)

Mean
Mean-SD
Mean+SD

From CPT

9
9

From SPT

Sand (SP)
10

1
1
1

CPT Profile for Piezocone

Cone Tip
Interpreted Soil Profile
EQ Drain Test Area 1

Resistance, qc
(MPa)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Fricton Ratio, Fr
(% )
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Pore Pressure, u
(kPa)
-100 0 100 200

Relative
Density, Dr
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

Sand

1
2

Silty sand/sand

3
4

Silt and Sandy

Silt

5
Depth (m)

6
7
8
9
10
11

Sand to
Silty Sand

12
13
14
15

CPT Results
& Soil
Classification

Typical
T
i l
CPT Data

Dynamic Cone Penetration Test (DCPT)

IS: 4968 (Part I, II)

Components:
1)

Cone (dia = 50 mm)

~usually
usually made of steel

2)

Driving rods/drill
rods

~marked at every 100 mm

SPT

Hollow (split spoon)

DCPT
Solid (no samples)

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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
d if unthreaded
th d d or recovered
d if th
threaded.
d d

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

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

11

CPTU

23

Resistance calculation for CPTU

24

12

Typical Measurements with CPTU

25

DOWNHOLE
SEISMIC
PIEZOCONE
PENETRATION TEST
(SCPTU)
(SC
U)

26

13

Failure Modes around

Advancing Cone

27

Vane Shear Test (VST)

measuring (torque)
head

bore hole

For clays, and mainly for soft clays.

Measure torque required to quickly
shear
h
the
h vane pushed
h d into soft
f clay.
l

undrained
h2d

vane

torque undrained shear strength cu

Typical
y
d = 20-100 mm.

d
soft clay
28

vane

14

Vane Shear Test

Interpretation:
Undrained shear
strength -

2.T
.D 2 .H .
D
1
3.H
cu

For H = 2.D

cu 0.273

Test in Progress

T
D3

Failure surface

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
b
iis again
i fl
flushed
h d
with plate.

60 mm dia.
Flexible
membrane

Determined:
Elastic Modulus
Soil Type and state
30

15

Pressure meter
Test (PMT)

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

Pressure meter Test (PMT)

Measurements:
1. Fluid Pressure
2. Fluid volume change

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Thank You

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