Lehane, B. M., Ismail, M. A. and Fahey, M. (2004). Géotechnique 54, No.

3, 215–218

TECHNICAL NOTE

Seasonal dependence of in situ test parameters in sand above the water

table
B. M . L E H A N E * , M A . I S M A I L † a n d M . FA H E Y *

KEYWORDS: in situ testing; sands in October 2002 (following 600 mm of rainfall during the
winter months of June to September).
Sieve analyses of bulk samples retrieved at 0.5 m depth
INTRODUCTION intervals from a 3.5 m deep trial pit in the open area of the
Suction pressures existing in sands and gravels above the site in October 2002 indicated that the sand has a fines
water table are often assumed to be small and to have little content of less than 5% and effective particle sizes D50, D60
impact on the selection of foundation design parameters and D10 of 0.42  0.02 mm, 0.47  0.02 mm and 0.21
from in situ test parameters. This note presents an example  0.01 mm respectively. Sand grains vary from sub-angular
from Perth, Western Australia, which shows that the validity to sub-rounded in shape. Sand replacement density tests and
of such an assumption in a medium-grained sand well above associated water content (w) determinations revealed a rela-
the water table depends on the extent to which seasonal tively uniform profile with depth, with average in situ bulk
variations affect the degree of saturation. densities (rb ) of 1670  25 kg/m3 , a w range of 3.2–3.8%,
and an average degree of saturation (S) of 14%. These data,
coupled with measured maximum and minimum void ratios
of 0.81  0.01 and 0.45  0.01 respectively, indicate that the
FIELD TESTS
sand’s relatively density (Id ) is 45  10%.
The cone penetration test (CPT) is well established as the
The CPTs at the test site were performed by two contrac-
most popular site investigation tool for characterising the
tors, and are summarised in Fig. 2. Both contractors em-
sand deposits in the Perth metropolitan region. However, the
ployed electric friction cone penetrometers to determine qc
reliability of CPT end resistances and friction values (qc and
and fs . The notation employed for each test comprises the
fs ) was questioned recently when one contractor’s measure-
contractor designation (C1/C2), the time of probing (end of
ments were observed to be almost double those of another
wet season, W, or end of dry summer season, S), the
contractor at the same location. Having established that this
location (in the treed area, T, or open area, O) and the test
discrepancy was not due to site variability or errors in the
number. For example, C1-W-T-2 is the second test performed
cone calibration coefficients employed, the authors initiated
by contractor 1 at the end of the wet/winter season in the
a study to investigate this effect at a site comprising between
treed area. Shear wave velocity (Vs ) measurements were also
8 m and 12 m of slightly moist, aeolian siliceous sand over-
obtained by contractor 1 using a seismic cone equipped with
lying variably cemented limestone. The influence of trees on
a single geophone. The initial tangent shear stiffnesses (Go )
suction development in the sand was considered important,
derived from these Vs values, assuming rb ¼ 1670 kg/m3 ,
and therefore one set of in situ tests was performed in an
are also plotted in Fig. 2.
open area (i.e. where no vegetation existed within a radius
The results in Fig. 2 indicate that:
of at least 30 m), and a second set was performed in a treed
area, as shown in Fig. 1. (a) The CPT qc values recorded by separate contractors at
The trees at the site consist of some large Corymbia/ the same location at the same time are in good
Eucalyptus calophylla, commonly referred to as morri trees, agreement. However, the sleeve frictions ( fs ) recorded
and smaller trees that are various species of Banksia includ- by C1 and C2 differ: such a difference may be a
ing grandis, attenuatta, prionotes and menzessii. These tree consequence of variable wear on the respective friction
types are typical of those found in Perth’s Spearwood dune
system (and in other dune systems throughout Australia).
The trees are likely to have an extensive system of lateral
roots and one large tap root, which extends, where possible,
via weakly cemented soils down to the water table at
15 m
depth within the limestone. The trees derive the majority of
their uptake of water via the lateral root system, but also
employ their tap roots during the dry summer months.
in situ tests were performed at the end of the dry season
in May 2001 (when the total rainfall over the preceding 6
months was only
30 mm) and at the end of the wet season

Manuscript received 3 October 2003; revised manuscript accepted 7

January 2004.
Discussion on this paper closes 1 October 2004, for further details
see p. ii.
* School of Civil and Resource Engineering, The University of
Western Australia.
† Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems, The University of
Western Australia. Fig. 1. View of treed area at test site (with CPT truck)

215
216 LEHANE, ISMAIL AND FAHEY
qc: MPa fs: kPa Gvho: MPa
0 5 10 15 20 0 50 100 150 200 0 100 200 300
0 0 0
C1-S-T-1 C1-S-T-1
C1-S-T-1
C2-W-T-1 1 C2-W-T-1 1
1 C2-W-T-1
C2-W-T-2 C2-W-T-2
2 C1-W-T-2 2 C1-W-T-2 2

3
Depth: m

3 3

4 4 4

5 5
5

6 6
6

7 7
7
(a) (b) (c)
qc: MPa fs: kPa Gvho: MPa
0 5 10 15 20 0 50 100 150 200 0 100 200 300
0 0 0

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3
Depth: m

C1-S-O-1
4 4 C1-S-O-1 4 C1-S-O-2
C1-S-O-1 C1-S-O-2 C1-W-O-1
5 C1-S-O-2 5 C1-W-O-1 5
C1-W-O-1
6 6 6

7 7 7
(d) (e) (f)

Fig. 2. In situ test results at test site: (a)–(c) treed area; (d)–(f) open area

sleeves, or may be due to the fact that contractor C1
employed a subtraction cone whereas the cone em-
ployed by contractor C2 had independent load cells for
end resistance and friction.
(b) Soundings taken at the end of the dry and wet seasons
in the open area are very similar (see Fig. 2(d), 2(e)
and 2(f)), and it may be inferred that values of qc , fs
and Gvho (strain shear stiffness) in the open area do not
exhibit a seasonal dependence.
(c) In contrast, the values of qc , fs and Gvho in the treed
area display a marked seasonal dependence. For
example, end-of-dry-season qc values increase with
depth to a maximum of about double the end-of-wet-
season values between 3 m and 4 m. Below this level,
the seasonal dependence diminishes, and is virtually
non-existent at a depth of 7 m.
(d ) The-end-of-wet-season values of qc , fs and Gvho in the
treed area are very similar to those values recorded
throughout the year in the open area.
STIFFNESS MEASURED IN THE LABORATORY
To assist interpretation of the field tests, samples of the
sand from the test site were reconstituted at a range of water
contents (w) and vibrated in 65 mm diameter triaxial moulds
to attain the in situ mean void ratio (e) of 0.62. The
samples were then subjected to a cell pressure of 10 kPa for
a period of up to 5 days, after which time no change in
shear wave velocity was measured using the bender elements
that were located at the top and base of each specimen. The
very small strain shear stiffness values (Gvho ) measured
subsequently using these bender elements under a range of
applied cell pressures (with the drainage connection open)
are plotted in Fig. 3(a) for the four degrees of saturation (S )
investigated.
The applied cell pressure is equivalent to the mean effec-
tive stress ( p9) for the fully saturated sample, and its Gvho
variation with p9 is well represented by the following expres-
sion:
 0:5
Gvho p9
¼ 1100 for S ¼ 100% (1)
pa pa
where pa is atmospheric pressure. The values of Gvho at a
given level of applied cell pressure for the specimen with S
¼ 17% are only slightly greater than those of the fully
saturated sample. However, as S decreases further a marked
increase in stiffness is evident, with the samples formed at S
¼ 3.25% and 6.5% indicating stiffness values that are,
respectively, 1.6 and 1.3 times higher than those at S ¼ 1.
 SEASONAL DEPENDENCE OF IN SITU TEST PARAMETERS IN SAND 217
200 insufficient to bring S below
10% from the winter value of
Max. shear modulus, Gvho: MPa
14%.
It follows from the foregoing that suction levels may be
150 expected to be relatively small in the open area of the site.
If the in situ K0 value is tentatively assumed to be 0.5  0.2
in this area, then the in situ measurements indicate that:
100
(a) measured CPT qc and Id values are best represented by
the following modified form of the relationship
S ⫽ 3·25% proposed by Baldi et al. (1986) for un-aged Ticino
50 S ⫽ 6·5% sand:
S ⫽ 17%  
S ⫽ 100% : îqc
I d ¼ 0 38 ln (2)
0 23 p0a :45 p90:55
0 20 40 60 80 100
where æ ¼ 2/3 is a correction for ageing
Applied effective pressure, p (kPa)
(a) (b) Gvho values measured in the seismic cone tests vary
with the in situ mean effective stress ( p9) in the same
80 way as that inferred from the laboratory tests (i.e.
:
Siliceous sand, D50 ⫽ 0·36 mm equation (1)) but are a higher multiple of ( p9/pa )0 5 ,
Externally applied σ′v ⫽ 1·5 kPa because of ageing:
60  0:5
Gvho p9
¼ 1500  200 (3)
G0 ⫽ ρvs2: MPa

pa pa
40 An approximate estimate of the suction (s) induced in the
sand in the treed area may be made if equations (2) and (3)
are assumed to be applicable when the mean effective stress
term is given as the mean total stress plus the matrix suction
20
pressure. Suctions deduced in this way are plotted in Fig. 4.
It is evident that there is broad general agreement between
the predictions, each of which indicates little, if any, suction
0 present to a depth of
1.5 m, followed by an increase to a
0 20 40 60 80 100 maximum suction of between 125 kPa and 220 kPa at 3.5 m
Degree of saturation, S: % depth and a reduction to low suctions at 6.5 m depth. The
(b)
suctions interpreted using equation (3) may be considered
Fig. 3. (a) Laboratory determination of Gvho on Perth sand; (b) more reliable in view of the potential breakdown of some/
dependence of Go on S recorded by Cho & Santamarina (2001) many of the menisci due to the large strains imposed by the
cone.

A similar dependence of small-strain stiffness on S for a CONCLUSIONS

sand with a comparable D50 has been reported by Cho & Water uptake by tree roots has the potential to increase
Santamarina (2001), and is reproduced in Fig. 3(b). It is both small-strain and large-strain in situ test parameters in
apparent that Go is strongly dependent on S at very low partially saturated medium sands. The observations at the
levels of saturation but is relatively independent of saturation test site can be explained by the mechanics associated with
levels for 90% . S .10%. At medium and high levels of relatively small water content changes at very low levels of
saturation the water phase is almost continuous, and suction saturation, leading to the generation of high suction pres-
pressures (and hence effective stresses) are relatively low
because large radii of water menisci can be accommodated. Estimated tree induced suction: kPa
However, as S falls below a threshold value (which may be 0 100 200 300 400
estimated using Fig. 3 as 10%), the water exists primarily 0
in the form of an adsorbed film on the sand particle Estimated using CPT data and equation (2)
surfaces. The radii of the menisci of these films of water at 1
the grain contacts are small and give rise to relatively high Estimated using Gvho data and equation (3)
suctions, which increase as S reduces. 2

3
Depth: m

FIELD TEST INTERPRETATION

It has been seen that the in situ (small strain) Gvho values
4
and (large strain) qc and fs CPT parameters displayed a
strong seasonal dependence in the vicinity of trees, but that
there was no effect in open areas. It appears, therefore, that 5
the extraction of water via the tree roots over the dry season
brought the level of saturation to below the threshold value 6
of
10%, interpreted from Fig. 3. The increase in Gvho of
50% that occurred over the dry season (see Fig. 2(c)) is 7
compatible with a decrease in S to
5%. In the open area of
the site the absence of a seasonal dependence of Gvho Fig. 4. Estimated suction induced during the dry season (in
suggests that evaporation during the summer months was treed area)
218 LEHANE, ISMAIL AND FAHEY
sures. It has been seen that the water requirements of the
tree root systems during the dry season are such that they
can induce suction pressures up to a maximum of at least
125 kPa at relatively shallow depths; suctions of this magni-
tude are not traditionally anticipated in medium sand with a
low fines content (, 5% in this case).
REFERENCES
Baldi, G., Bellotti, R., Ghionna, V., Jamiolkowski, M. & Pasqualini
E. (1986). Interpretation of CPTs and CPTUs: drained penetra-
tion of sands. Proc. 4th Int. Geotech. Seminar, Singapore,
143–156.
Cho, G. C. & Santamarina, J. C. (2001). Unsaturated particulate
materials: particle level studies. J. Geotech.Geoenviron. Engng,
ASCE 127, No. 1, 84–96.