LECTURE 03

SOIL EXPLORATION (PENETRATION TESTS)

INTRODUCTION
Indirect method to determine the insitu soil properties is know as
Standard Penetration Test (SPT).

• The standard penetration test (SPT) is widely used to

determine the parameters of the soil insitu. The test consist
of driving a split spoon sampler into the soil through a bore
at the desired depth.

• The split-spoon sampler is driven in to the soil a distance of

450mm at the bottom of the boring.

• A hammer of 63.5 kg weight with a free fall of 760mm is used to

drive the sampler.

• The number of blows for a penetration of last 300mm is

designated as the Standard Penetration Value’ or “Number” N

• The test is usually performed in three stages. The blow count is

found for every 150mm penetration.

• The blows for the first 150mm are ignored as those required for
the seating drive.

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 Standard Penetration Test

Fig. 1: standard penetration test

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 The refusal of test when:
• 50 blows are required for any 150mm increment.
• 100 blows are obtained for required 300mm penetration.
• 10 successive blows produce no advance
Hammer efficiency correction

• During the penetration test some correction are required. SPT is

standardized to energy ratio (𝐸𝑟 ).

𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑟, 𝐸𝑎

𝐸𝑟 =
𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦, 𝐸𝑖𝑛
1𝑤 1⁄
• Indirect 𝐸𝑖𝑛 = 1⁄2 𝑚𝑣 2 = 𝑣 2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑣 = (2𝑔ℎ) 2
2𝑔
1 𝑤 2
Thus 𝐸𝑖𝑛 = ⁄2 𝑣 (2𝑔ℎ) = 𝑤ℎ
𝑔
Where: 𝑤= weight of hammer
ℎ= height of fall
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SPT corrections
• The standard blow count 𝑁70
′
can be computed as (ASTM D1586).
′
𝑁70 = 𝐶𝑁 × 𝑁 × 𝜂1 × 𝜂2 × 𝜂3 × 𝜂4
Where: 𝜂1 = correction factor
′
𝑁70 = corrected N using the subscript for the 𝐸𝑟𝑏 and the to
indicate it has been corrected
𝐸𝑟𝑏 = standard energy ratio value
𝐶𝑁 = correction for effective overburden pressure 𝑃0′ (kPa) computed as
[Liao and Whitman, 1986]
Correction factor 𝜂1 for hammer efficiency
𝐸𝑟
𝜂1 =
𝐸𝑟𝑏
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• Different type of hammer are in use for driving the drill rods. Two types
are normally used. They are stated as follow (Bowles, 1996):
-Donut hammer with 𝐸𝑟 =45 to 67
- Safety hammer with 𝐸𝑟 as follows:
Rope-pulley or Cat-head=70 to 80
Trip or automatic =80 to 100
Now if 𝐸𝑟 = 80 and standard energy ratio value.
(𝐸𝑟𝑏 ) = 70, 𝜂1 = 80⁄70 = 1.14
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Correction factor 𝜂2 for rod length

Length >10m 𝜂2 = 1.00
6-10m =0.95
4-6m =0.85
0-4m =0.75
Note: N is too high for length < 10m
Correction factor 𝜂2 for rod length
Without liner 𝜂3 = 1.00
With liner: Dense sand, clay =0.80
Loose sand = 0.90

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 Correction factor 𝜂3 for bore hole diameter
Hole diameter: 60-120mm 𝜂4 =1.00
150mm = 1.05
200mm = 1.15

𝜂4 = 1.00 for all diameter hollow-stem augers

Where: SPT is taken through the stem

Example 3.1
Given N=21, rod length =13m, hole diameter= 100mm, 𝑃0′ =200 kPa, 𝐸𝑟 =80,
′ ′
loose sand without liner, what are the standard 𝑁70 and 𝑁60 values
Solution
′
For 𝐸𝑟𝑏 = 70, 𝑁70 = 𝐶𝑁 × 𝑁 × 𝜂1 × 𝜂2 × 𝜂3 × 𝜂4
1⁄
95.76 2
𝐶𝑁 = ( ) = 0.69
200

𝜂1 = 80⁄70 = 1.170, 𝜂2 = 1.0, 𝜂3 = 1.0, 𝜂4 = 1.0

′ 70
Now 𝐸𝑟1 × 𝑁1 = 𝐸𝑟2 × 𝑁2 Thus, 𝑁60 = ( ) × 17 = 20
60
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 Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
• According to IS 2131-198 two corrections are due to SPT:
-Overburden pressure (granular soil)
-Dilatancy (for saturated fine sands and silts)

The corrected N value is given by

𝑁 = 𝐶𝑁 𝑁
Where: 𝑁 ′ = corrected value of observed N
𝐶𝑁 = correction factor for overburden pressure
𝑁 ′ = 15 + 0.5(𝑁 ′ − 15) if 𝑁 ′ > 15
If 𝑁 ′ > 15 the dilatancy correction will not be applied

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Fig.2: correlation chart

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According to Fig. 2 it can be deduced that as the effective overburden
pressure increases the correction factor, 𝐶𝑁 on the horizontal axis
decreases. This happens as a result of overburden pressure.
Table.1: SPT correlations in clays
′
𝑁60 𝐶𝑁 (𝑘𝑃𝑎) Consistency Visual identification
0-1 0-12 Very soft Thumb can penetrate>
25mm
2-4 12-25 Soft Thumb can penetrate>
25mm
4-8 25-50 Medium Thumb can penetrate with
moderate effort
8-15 50-100 Stiff Thumb will ident 8mm
15-30 100-200 Very stiff Can indent with thumb
nail, not thumb
>30 >200 Hard Cannot indent even with
thumb nail
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SPT correlations in granular soils

′
𝑁60 Dr (%) consistency
0-4 0-15 Very loose
4-10 15-35 Loose
10-30 35-65 Medium
30-50 65-85 Dense
>50 85-100 Very dense

Nf is field value without correction

Correlation between field standard penetration value, vertical effective overburden pressure
and ᶲ for granular soil. Schmertmann’s, 1975

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 Cone penetration test (CPT)

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State Cone Penetration Test

• The static cone penetration test, which is also know as Dutch cone test
has been standardized by “IS: 4968 (Part-II)- 1976- Method for
subsurface sounding for soils- Part III static cone penetration test”

• The equipment consist of a steel cone, a friction jacket, sounding rod,

mantle tube, a driving mechanism and measuring equipment.

• The cone have an apex angle of 60o and base cross of-sectional area
of 10cm2

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Operation of Penetrometer

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Sample disturbance

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Static Cone Penetration Test Charts

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 Dynamic Cone Penetration Test (DCP)
• The dynamic cone penetration test is standardized by “IS:4968 (Part I)-
1976 – method for subsurface sounding for soils-Part I Dynamic method
using 50mm cone without bentonite slurry”

• The equipment consist of a cone, driving rods, driving head, lifting

equipment and a hammer.
• Hammer used for driving the cone shall be of mild steel or cast-iron with
a base of mild steel and the weight of the hammer shall be 65kg .

• The cone shall be driven into the soil by allowing the hammer to fall freely
through 750mm each time.

• The number of blows for every 100mm penetration of the cone shall be
recorded. Blows required for 300mm penetration is not as the dynamic
cone resistance.

• The process shall be repeated till the cone is driven to the required depth.
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Dynamic Cone Penetration Test

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Pressuremeter Test

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Zone I Is called reloading zone PO in situ soil pressure, this Zone is called
Pseudo Elastic zone. ∆P is pressure increment, ∆V is volume increment. P f is
creep stress. Pl the limit pressure. It is Assume that the soil fails when the total
expansion of the measuring cell is two time the in situ expansion and the
pressure corresponding is the limit pressure Pl.

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Correlations

With these correlation we can determine soil properties.

𝑃𝑖 −𝑃0
𝐶𝑢 = (Baguelin et. al 1977)
𝑁𝑝

Where 𝐶𝑢 = undrained shear strength of the clay

𝐸𝑃
𝑁𝑝 = 1 + 𝑖𝑛 ( )
2𝐶𝑢

Typical values of 𝑁𝑝 varies between 5 to 12 (average= 8.5)

𝐸𝑃 (KN/m2) =908N0.66 for clay (Ohya et al 1982)

𝐸𝑃 (KN/m2) =91930N0.63 for sand ( Kulhawy and Mayne, 1990)

Where: N = field standard penetration value.

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