Bearing Capacity of

Shallow Foundation
In situ Tests
Several in-situ tests define the stratigraphy
and obtain direct measurements of soil
properties and geotechnical parameters.
The common tests include:
Standard penetration test (SPT)
Cone penetration test(CPT)
Vane shear test(VST)
Borehole Shear Test (BST)
Piezocone test (CPTu)
Flat dilatometer test (DMT)
Pressuremeter test (PMT)
Plate Load test (PLT)
Cone Penetration Test
Cone Penetration Test (CPT)
(ASTM D 3441 and D 5778: )

Originally Developed in Netherlands 1930s

Further developments in 1950s
“Dutch Cone”
Types of CPT devices
– mechanical cone
– electric cone
– piezocone
 Cones
60 degree apex cone
Standard cone
φ = 35.7 mm
Area = 10 cm2
Measures:
Tip resistance (qc)
Sleeve friction (fs)
Pore pressure (pw)
Shear wave velocity (vs)
Cone Penetrometer (CPT)
CPT Truck
Crawler Type CPT Truck
CPT Truck; Interior
 Mechanical Cone
Penetration Test.
The idea for the mechanical cone penetration
test is similar to the SPT except that instead of
driving a thick-walled sampler into the soil, a
steel cone is pushed into the soil.
The most common type of mechanical
penetrometer is the Dutch mantle cone,
This test is often referred to as the Dutch cone
test or the cone penetration test
MECHANICAL CONE PENETROMETER
The cone is first pushed into the soil to the
desired depth (initial position) and then
force is applied to the inner rod, which
moves the cone downward into the
extended position.

The cone is pushed into the soil at a rate

of about 2 to 4 ft/min (10 to 20 mm/sec).
 40 mm
Static Cone
Penetrometer 40 mm
test
40 mm
40 mm

Cone penetrometers
with pore water
pressure measurement
capability are known as
piezocones
Cone 60o
Base Area10cm2
For obtaining cone resistance, the cone is pushed down at a
steady rate of 10 mm/sec through a depth of 40 mm each time

Area of Sleeves: 150cm2

Static Cone Penetrometer test

Force required for the inner rod to push the tip (Fc) and the
total force required to push both the tip and the sleeve (Fc +
Fs) will be measured

Point resistance (qc) = Fc/ area of the tip

Sleeve resistance (qs) = Fs/ area of the sleeve in contact with soil

Friction Ratio (fr) = qs/ qc ×100 (%)

Various correlations have been developed to determine soil

strength parameters (c, φ, ect) from fr
CPT and cohesionless soil
Experience
indicates that
use of qc for
obtaining ϕ is
more reliable
than use of N
qu for cohesionless soil from CPT

N q = N γ = 1.25qc
 kg t 
qc →  2 or 2 
 cm ft 
qc is averaged over a depth equal to the
width below the foundation

After knowing value of Nq and Nγ, use

bearing capacity equation
qc and undrained shear strength of clay
(Cu)
qc and undrained shear strength of clay
(Cu)
Bearing Capacity using
CPT
1. Cone resistance versus depth.
A considerable amount of work has been
performed in correlating cone resistance
qc with subsurface conditions. Figure.
presents four examples, where the cone
resistance qc has been plotted versus
depth below ground surface.

The shape of the cone resistance qc plots

versus depth can be used to identify
sands, clays, cavities, or rock.
 Cone resistance (qc) Cone resistance (qc)
Surface sand layer
Clay ‘crust’ sand

NC clay
OC clay

Sand layer
or pocket
sand

NC clay layer continued

Depth Depth
 Cone resistance (qc) Cone resistance (qc)
C

Surface sand, med-dense

L Denser
o Sand
o Dense sand layer
s or Cemented
e
Loose sand
S
Sand
a Very loose sand
n Or cavity
d

Dense sand
Or soft rock
Depth Depth
Test sequence for obtaining the sleeve friction from the Dutch cone
penetrometer and an example of the test data plotted versus depth
 Typical
CPT Data
Use of
CPT
Data
Advantages/Disadvanta
ges of CPT
Benefits of the Cone Penetrometer Test

Accurately profiles the geological strata

Measures the low strain shear wave velocity
for seismic evaluations satisfying the new
International Building Code (IBC) requirements
Can be used to predict vertical pile capacity
In normally consolidated or recently aged
cohesionless soils, provides good estimates of
settlement for shallow foundation.
 Other Cone
Penetrometers.

Besides the mechanical cone, there are
other types of cone penetrometers,such
as:

Electric cone. A cone penetrometer that
uses electric-force transducers built into
the apparatus for measuring cone
resistance and friction resistance.

Piezocone. A cone penetrometer with
the additional capability of measuring
pore water pressure generated during
the penetration of the cone.

Special devices. The cone can even
be equipped with a video camera to
enable the type of soil to be viewed
during the test.
Electrical
Cone
 Electric Cone and Piezocone

Strain gauges are used to

measure the tip and friction
values and a pressure
transducer measures the
pore water pressures
generated during
penetration.

With the electric cone, data
are collected at penetration
increments of 0.5 cm to 5
cm depending on the
computer acquisition
system
Geometry and Measurements Taken by
Cone and Piezocone Penetrometers
Procedures and Components of the Cone
Penetration Test
 CPT Applications

Soil profile (stratigraphy)

Estimation of geotechnical parameters
(strength, liquefaction resistance, shear
wave velocity)
Evaluation of groundwater conditions