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In Situ Tests: Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
In Situ Tests: Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
In Situ Tests: Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
In situ Tests
y Most widely used In
y Standard Penetration Test (SPT) situ Test
y Cone Penetration Test (CPT)
y Vane Shear Test
Vane Shear Test y Crude
Crude – Hammer a
Hammer a
y Pressuremeter Test Sampler into the
Ground, Record the
y Dilatometer Test Resistance
y Others
y Done Intermittently
with Drilling of Bore
Holes
Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
SPT ‐ Procedure
y Drilling of bore hole is interrupted at regular intervals
y “Split‐spoon” sampler is introduced into the bore hole
y Sampler is driven into the ground by dropping a hammer on
top of the rods (over an anvil)
y Sampler is driven into the soil for an overall depth of 45 cm (18
inches) in intervals of 15 cm (6 inches)
inches) in intervals of 15 cm (6 inches)
y Operator counts the number of blows required for each 15 cm
(6 inch) penetration of the sampler
y Sampler is then retrieved back to the ground surface (soil
samples collected in the sampler is stored for subsequent
transportation to the lab)
y Drilling of bore hole is resumed until the next SPT testing
depth
SPT Blow Count N (or NSPT)
Standard Penetration Test - Youtube
y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WEFw5K1tF8&NR=
1
y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcNlDdcF8Hc&NR=1
h // b / h? l d 8 & 1
Split‐spoon Sampler Typical Boring Log
with SPT Blow
Count
SPT Specifications
When should SPT be stopped?
y Sampler (ASTM ‐ 1586): y 50 blows required for any 15‐cm interval
y Outer Diameter = 2 in (51mm)
y Inner Diameter = 1.375in (35mm) with
y 100 blows required for a 30‐cm interval
liner
y Hammer: 140lb (63.5kg)
y Fall height: 30in (76cm) y 10 successive blows produce no advance/penetration
y Borehole Diameter – 66 to 115 mm
Hammer Types and Energy Imparted
Limitations of SPT
y Ideally: E = mhammergh
y Lack of Standardization y Pin‐weight Hammer: ~70% Efficiency or Energy Ratio
y Different hammers produce different driving energy ER (i.e., energy imparted = 0.7 mhammergh)
y Operator dependent (quality of operation, method of y Safety Hammer: ~60% ER
hammer release affects N) y Donut Hammer: ~45% ER
y Conditions of rope, anvil, sampler, cathead affect N
y Sampler type also affects N
y Total string length, tightness of rod connections affect
N
y Borehole diameter affects N
Sampler Types Bore Hole Diameter
y With and Without Liners
Elimination of Uncertainties:
Hammer Correction
Blow Count Corrections
ER hammer type ER hammer type
N60 = ChCrCsCdN Ch = =
ER safety hammer 60%
y N60 is the corrected blow count
y Ch is hammer correction
y Cr is rod length correction
y Cs is sampler correction
y Cd is borehole diameter correction
y N is measured blow count value in field
Sampler Correction
Borehole Diameter Correction
y Sampler that cannot accommodate liner:
Cs = 1.0 y Cd = 1.0 for borehole diameter = 65‐115 mm
y Sampler that can accommodate liner and y Cd = 1.05 for borehole diameter = 150 mm
with the liner in space: Cs = 1.0
y Sampler that can accommodate liner but
Sampler that can accommodate liner but y Cd = 1.15 for borehole diameter = 200 mm
= 1 15 for borehole diameter = 200 mm
does not have a liner in place: Cs = 1.2
Why?
Soil can expand and occupy the space
where the liner could be placed resulting
in less frictional resistance
Rod Length Correction ISSMGE Guidelines to Eliminate/Reduce
other Unaccountable Uncertainties
y Cr = 0.75 if rod length < 4 m
y Cr = 0.85 if rod length 4‐<6 m
y Cr = 0.95 if rod length 6‐<10 m
y Cr = 1.0 if rod length >= 10 m
Elimination of Uncertainties: Stress Normalization of N
Blow Count Corrections
N60 = ChCrCsCdN p A K 0, NC
y Intuitively N depends on
N1 = N
σ′v K 0
density and confining stress
Four Types of N Interpretations of SPT Blow Count
N, N60, N1 and (N1)60 y Two Approaches: Direct and Indirect
Which one to use? y Direct Interpretation: N is related directly to foundation
capacity (bearing capacity)
i (b i i )
Depends on the Correlations Available
y Indirect Interpretation: N is related to soil variables like φ,
DR etc. which, in turn, is related to foundation capacity
y Use caution when using DR N 60
=
Correlations
100% σ v′
A + BC
pA
y A = 27‐46
y B = 27
y C =(1 + 2K0)/(1 + 2K0,NC)
Correlations with N ‐ Clay
y N depends on many su
= f1 N
factors like clay pA
sensitivity, loading rate 1
etc. – correlations less mv p A =
f2 N
reliable
Pressuremeter Test
y Pressure meter lowered into
pre‐existing borehole
y It is forced to expand (like a
It is forced to expand (like a
balloon) and soil resistance
is measured