Other "non-standardized" dynamic probing devices exist and may be used,

where appropriate; the most commonly used in the UK is the Mackintosh Probe
(see Clayton et al., 1995 [22]); with this device the hammer is lifted by hand and
the driving energy sometimes declines due to operator fatigue. Care should be
taken when these devices are used for anything other than generalized
profiling.

38.2 Dynamic cone penetrometer

COMMENTARY ON 38.2
The dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) is a type of dynamic probe intended,
primarily, to obtain values of California Bearing Ratio by correlation. There is no
formal standard for this test but it is described in Design manual for roads and
bridges, Vol 7 [77]. The DPC results are presented as penetration/blow, i.e. the
inverse of general practice for dynamic probing in 38.1. A summary of the history of
its development and a review of the published correlations is given in Booth, Keeton
and Gosling, 2008 [78].
In the absence of a standard, the test should be carried out and the data
processed following the guidance given by the Highways Agency or in the
manufacturer's literature. The correlation adopted should be appropriate to the
cone used for the test but even so the results should be treated with caution.

39 Static cone penetration testing

39.1 General
COMMENTARY ON 39.1
This is probably the most widely used in-situ test worldwide and has an extensive
database of published correlations for geotechnical parameters. The cone
penetration test (CPT) consists of "pushing" a conical 60° cone into the ground at a
constant rate and recording the pushing force required to do this. The cone
penetration test was originally developed in the 1930s for use in recent alluvial soils.
Its application, however, has since been widened to other materials, such as dense
sands, stiff and very stiff clays, gravelly clays, chalk, other weaker rocks and many
more (see Lunne et al., 1997 [74]). However, penetration is usually terminated when
dense gravel, coarse gravel, a cobble or rock is encountered. The depth of
penetration is limited by both the safe load that can be carried by the cone, and the
push system together with the reaction force available for pushing the penetrometer
into the ground. The latter is controlled by the capacity of the hydraulic equipment
and the weight of CPT machine, or capacity of any anchorage included. CPT
termination at depth above the scheduled depth (i.e. refusal) is likely to occur where
the operator judges that excessive bending o f the cone or section o f the push rod
string is taking place, largely based on information from the inbuilt inclinometer.
The most common forms of cone penetration test uses "electrical sensors with the
cone" to measure the load on the cone; these are referred to as electrical CPT.
A build-up of skin friction along the rods, together with the load on the cone, can
prevent further penetration, because the total thrust capacity of the machine is
reached. The friction on the sounding tubes can be reduced by the use of a friction
reducer. Where a penetration test is stopped for any of the above reasons, it might
be possible to prebore and continue the test from the bottom of the prebored hole.
If this procedure is adopted, it is necessary to provide lateral support to rods in the
prebored hole. For softer strata over harder strata the CPT rig can install casing to
support the cone rods through the soft strata, allowing penetration of the harder
strata. It is important to use appropriate resolution and accuracy (see
BS EN ISO 22476-1) together with all required corrections, e.g. for end area effects
(for example, for very soft clays and silts, more sensitive cones could be used).