12/14/2012

Gregg Drilling & Testing, Inc.

Site Investigation Experts

Cone Penetration Testing

Interpretation -
Soil Type
Dr. Peter K. Robertson
Webinar #2
Dec., 2012

Robertson, 2012

Basic Cone Parameters

Sleeve Friction
fs = load/2Srh

Pore Pressure
u2

Tip Resistance
qc = load/S r 2

Robertson, 2012

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Advantages of CPT
Advantages over traditional combination of
boring, sampling and other testing
• Fast
• Continuous or near continuous data
• Repeatable and reliable data
• Cost savings

Robertson, 2012

Unequal End Area Effects on qc

qt = qc + u2(1-a)

a = 0.60 to 0.85

a = tip net area ratio

~ An/Ac

In sands: qt = qc

In very soft clays:

correction to qt is important

Cones should have high net area ratio

a > 0.8

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CPTu Interpretation
Soil Type
– Soil behavior type (SBT) & stratigraphy
In-situ State
– Relative density (Dr) or State Parameter ( and OCR
Strength
– Peak friction angle ( ) and undrained strength (su)
Stiffness/compressibility
– Shear (Go), Young s (E ) and 1-D constrained (M)
Consolidation/permeability
– Coeff of consolidation (cv) and permeability (k)

Robertson, 2012

Role of CPT
CPT has three main applications:
• Determine sub-surface stratigraphy and identify
materials present (Soil Type – SBT)
• Estimate soil parameters
• Provide results for direct geotechnical design

Primary role is soil profiling and can be supplemented

by samples, other in-situ tests and laboratory testing

Robertson, 2012

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First CPT soil classification chart

Increasing friction ratio

Rf = fs/qc

Begemann (1965) type mechanical cone

Soil Behaviour Type (SBT) Chart

Zone Soil behaviour type
1000
1 Sensitive fine grained
2 Organic material
(qt/pa)

3 Clay
4 Silty Clay to clay

100
Sand 5
6
Clayey silt to silty clay
Sandy silt to clayey silt
7 Silty sand to sandy silt
8 Sand to silty sand

9 Sand
10 Gravelly sand to sand
10 11 Very stiff fine grained*
Clay 12 Sand to clayey sand*

* Overconsolidated or cemented

SBT
1
Robertson & Campanella, 1986

= 100 (fs/qt)

Note: 1 tsf ~ 0.1 MPa Robertson, 2012

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CPT - Soil Behavior Type (SBT)

Non-­Normalized Classification Chart
1000

10 12
CPT SBT based on in-
11 situ soil behavior
9
(strength, stiffness,
100
Sand 8

7 compressibility) - not
Cone Resistance (bar) qt

6 the same as
5
4 classification based
10
3 Atterberg Limits and
1
Clay grain size carried out
2 on disturbed samples
1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Robertson & Campanella, 1986

Friction Ratio (%), Rf

Note: 1 bar ~ 1 tsf ~ 0.1 MPa Robertson, 2012

Soil Samples with CPT equipment

CPT Piston-Type Sampler
• Single-Tube System

• 300mm long x 28mm diameter sample

Robertson, 2012

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CPT Data Presentation

Example CPTu Plot Robertson, 2012

Normalized SBTn Charts

SAND

Mixed Soils

CLAY

Normalized CPT Parameters

Robertson, 1990

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Proposed common SBT zones

SBT zone SBTn zone Proposed common
Robertson et al (1986) Robertson (1990) SBT description
1 1 Sensitive fine-grained
2 2 Clay: organic soil
3 3 Clays: clay to silty clay
4&5 4 Silt mixtures: clayey silt & silty clay
6&7 5 Sand mixtures: silty sand to sandy silt
8 6 Sands: clean sand to silty sand
9 & 10 7 Dense sand to gravelly sand
12 8 Stiff sand to clayey sand*
11 9 Stiff fine-grained*

Robertson, 2010
Robertson, 2012

Why Friction Ratio (fs/qt)?

Qt = (qt-vo)/’vo Qt = (qt-vo)/’vo

Fr = 0.1%

OC OC
Fr = 10%

NC NC

Fr = 100[fs/(qt-vo)] F = 100(fs/’vo)
Normally to OC consolidated clay, friction ratio, Fr ~ constant

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Tumay Fuzzy-logic SBT

Applies
fuzzy
logic to
SBT

Probability of Soil Type

(not % grain size)

Robertson, 2012

Schneider et al (2008) chart

Qt = (qt-vo)/’vo

Example NC Clay

u2/’vo (log scale) u2/’vo

Combines normalized cone resistance (Q) and excess pore pressure (u/ v)
Good offshore – less effective on-shore, where saturation can not be assured
Robertson, 2012

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Schneider et al (2008) chart

Variation of OCR
and Bq on Schneider
et al (2008) chart

Qt = (qt-vo)/’vo

Bq = u2/ (qt-vo)

u2/’vo = Qt Bq

Compare pore pressure charts

NC clay NC clay

Schneider et al, 2008 Modified Robertson (1990)

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Generalized CPT Soil Behaviour Type

CPT Soil Behaviour

A: Drained-dilative
A
B: Drained-contractive
B C
C: Undrained-dilative
D
D: Undrained-contractive

CPT SBT Index, Ic

Soil Behavior Type

Index, Ic
SANDS Ic = [(3.47 – log Q)2 + (log F+1.22)2]0.5

Function primarily of
Soil Compressibility
Increasing compressibility
Compressibility linked to
CLAYS soil plasticity

Robertson, 2012

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SBT from CPT

Plasticity Index as
function of SBT Ic

Non Plastic
Boundary between
sand-like and clay-like
soils is PI ~ 10

When Ic < 2.60

Ic = 2.60 95% samples NP
84% with PI < 12%

Plastic
Data from Cetin & Ozan, 2009

Robertson, 2012

SBT from CPT

Fines content as
Coarse grained function of SBT Ic

No unique
correlation
Also a function of
plasticity of fines

Fine grained
Data from Cetin & Ozan, 2009

Robertson, 2012

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Robertson, 2012

SBT from CPT

Clay like
Low Plastic High Plastic

Sand like
Ic ~ 2.60
Transition
region

Idriss & Boulanger, 2008

SBT from CPT

• Soil behavior influenced by fines content and
plasticity of fine
– e.g. soils with small amount of high plastic fines behave
more like a clay and soils with large amount of low plastic
fines behave more like sand
• CPT Soil Behavior Type Index Ic captures
combined influence of fines content and
plasticity of fines
Fines content alone can not capture correct soil
response
Robertson, 2012

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CPT Normalization
• Early normalization based on theory for clays
Qt = (qt – v) / 'v

• Recently normalization based on soil type,

density and stress level
Qtn = [(qt – v)/pa] (pa/'v)n
Where:
(qt – v)/pa = dimensionless net cone resistance,
(pa/'v)n = stress normalization factor
n = stress exponent that varies with soil type, density & stress level
pa = atmospheric pressure in same units as qt and v
Robertson, 2012

CPT Normalization
Strength envelope in sandy
soils is curved, curvature
depends on:

• Density
• Stress level

CPT penetration resistance a

direct measure of shear
strength

Stress exponent varies with

density and stress level

Robertson, 2012

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CPT Normalization
Qtn = [(qt – v)/pa] (pa/'vo)n

n = 0.381 (Ic) + 0.05 ('vo/pa) – 0.15

ZKHUHQ”

If stress normalization correct - no need

for additional stress level corrections
(e.g. Ks)

Robertson, 2012

Compare stress normalization

after Cetin & Ozan, 2009

Robertson, 2012

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Example CPT - UBC Fraser River

Fraser River Delta, Vancouver, BC (UBC)
Campanella & Robertson, 1983

Organic SILT

Clean Sand

silty sand

NC Clay

Holocene-age deltaic deposit

Example CPT - UBC Fraser River

Fraser River Delta, Vancouver, BC (UBC)
Campanella & Robertson, 1983

Organic SILT

Clean Sand

silty sand

NC Clay

Normalized CPT Parameters

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Example CPT – Amherst UMass

Connecticut Valley Lacustrine Varved Clay
DeGroot & Lutenegger, 2003

Clay Crust

Varved Clay

Dissipation tests (not varves)

Late Pleistocene-age lacustrine deposit

Example CPT – Amherst UMass

Connecticut Valley Lacustrine Varved Clay
DeGroot & Lutenegger, 2003

Clay Crust

Varved Clay

Normalized CPT Parameters

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Example CPT – Venice Lagoon

Venice Lagoon, Treporti Test Site
Simonini et al, 2003

Samples

Sand

Silt

Sand
Silt
Sand

Interbedded Silt

Holocene/Pleistocene-age lagoon deposit

Example CPT – Venice Lagoon

Venice Lagoon, Treporti Test Site
Simonini et al, 2003

Samples

Sand

Silt

Sand
Silt
Sand

Interbedded Silt

Normalized CPT Parameters

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Example CPT
Mixed soil profile
San Francisco Bay area, USA

Soft Clay

Stiff Clay

Dense Sand

Holocene/Pleistocene-age deposit

Example CPT
Mixed soil profile
San Francisco Bay area, USA

Soft Clay

Stiff Clay

Dense Sand

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How deep can you push the CPT?

Depends on:
• amount of reaction
push force
• amount of rod
friction

With 15 cm2 cone

(10cm2 push rods) and
200 kN (20 tons)
reaction – can
penetrate soil with
SPT (N)60 > 100

Example CPT – Mine Tailings

Deep Mine Tailings
Southwest, USA

Interbedded sand/silt tailings

Very young, hydraulically placed tailings

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Example CPT – Mine Tailings

Deep Mine Tailings
Southwest, USA

Interbedded sand/silt tailings

Normalized CPT Parameters

Example CPT – Soft Rock

Very stiff soil – soft rock
Newport Beach, CA, USA

Stiff Silt

Weak Sandstone/Siltstone
SPT (N)60 ~100

Pleistocene/Tertiary-age deposits

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Example CPT – Soft Rock

Very stiff soil – soft rock
Newport Beach, CA, USA

Stiff Silt

Weak Sandstone/Siltstone
SPT (N)60 ~100

Normalized CPT Parameters

New Software
CPeT-IT
http://www.geologismiki.gr/

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Summary
• CPT is a fast, reliable method to determine soil
stratigraphy and soil type in a cost effective
manner.
• CPT-based Soil Behaviour Type (SBT) charts
available to estimate soil type, based on either
tip-friction and/or tip-pore pressure
measurements
• CPT equipment can be used to take small
diameter push-in soil samples to verify soil
type

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