In-situ Testing

•In certain soils, such as soft sensitive silts and clays and
some coarse cohesionless soils, it is difficult (almost
impossible occasionally) to obtain good undisturbed
samples.
•It is difficult also to accurately model in the laboratory
truly representative conditions of structure and/or pore
pressure under certain site conditions.
•A number of relatively simple in-situ testing procedures
have therefore been devised which will enable good
estimates of soil properties to be made under actual site
conditions.
• Soils are tested in their natural state.
In-situ Testing
 Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
• The standard penetration test, developed around
1927, is currently the most popular and economical
means to obtain subsurface information (both on
land and offshore).
• It is estimated that 85 to 90 percent of conventional
foundation design in North and South America is
made using the SPT.
• This test is also widely used in other geographic
regions.
• The method has been standardized as ASTM D 1586
since 1958 with periodic revisions to date.
• The test consists of the following:
Or if there is no observed advance of the sampler during the
application of 10 successive blows of the hammer.

Mark the drill rods in three successive 0.5-ft (0.15 m) increments so

that the advance of the sampler under the impact of the hammer
can be easily observed for each 0.5-ft (150mm) increment.
• The sum of the number of blows required for the second
and third 0.5-ft (150 mm) of penetration is termed the
“standard penetration resistance,” or the “N-value.”

• The penetration resistance is composed of end resistance

plus shaft friction of the split spoon sampler. End
resistance is the larger component in granular soils, and
shaft resistance is the larger component in clay soils.
The conditions
encountered in
an exploratory boring
are recorded on a
boring log.
 N-value Correction
• It was regularly observed that N values from adjacent
boreholes or from using different equipment in adjacent
holes were not reproducible.
• It is important to point out that several factors contribute to
the variation of the standard penetration number N at a
given depth for similar soil profiles.
• Among these factors are the SPT hammer efficiency,
borehole diameter, sampling method, and rod length
(Skempton, 1986; Seed, et al., 1985).
• The input driving energy and its dissipation around the sampler
into the surrounding soil is the principal factors for the wide
range in N values.
• It should be evident that the blow count would be directly related
to the driving energy, which is theoretically computed as follows:
mass of hammer , m = 63.5 kg
height of fall of hammer, h = 0.76 m (30 in.)
Theoretical input driving energy,
Ein = mgh = 63.5 x 9.81 x 0.76 = 474 J

• Kovacs and Salomone (1982) found that the actual input driving
energy Ea to the sampler to produce penetration ranged from
about 30 to 80 percent; Riggs et al. (1983) obtained energy inputs
ranging from about 70 to 100 percent.
 SPT hammer energy efficiency or energy ratio Er

• Note that larger values of Er decrease the blow count N nearly

linearly, that is, Er45 gives N = 20 and Er90 gives N = 10.
• The energy ratio X blow count should be a constant for any soil, so
Er1  N1  Er 2  N 2
These discrepancies appear to arise from factors such as the following:
1. Equipment from different manufacturers. A large variety of drilling
rigs are in current use.
2. Drive hammer configurations. The anvil also seems to have some
influence on the amount of energy input to the sampler.
3. Whether the hammer uses an automatic trip with the drop height
h controlled to within ±25 mm,
4. or the system used is a rope-cathead (low-speed power
takeoff pulley).
• diameter and condition of rope
• diameter and condition of cathead (rusty, clean, etc., and
whether using 125- or 200-mm diameter—200-mm is common
in North America)
• number of turns of rope around cathead, etc.
• Whether a liner is used inside the split barrel sampler.
Side friction increases the driving resistance (and N) and
is less without the liner.
• Oversize boreholes on the order of 150 to 200 mm will
also reduce N.
• Length of drill rod; Above about 10 m the rod length does
not seem critical. N is too high for L < 10 m.
• In the field, the magnitude of Er can vary from 30 to 90%.
• The standard practice now in the U.S. is to express the N-
value to an average energy ratio of 60% (≈N60).
• Thus, correcting for field procedures and on the basis of
field observations, it appears reasonable to standardize
the field penetration number as a function of the input
driving energy and its dissipation around the sampler
into the surrounding soil, or
  H ( N B S R ) Where, P indicates the any
NP  standard energy ratio. It could
P
be 50, 55, 60, 70 etc.
Er ( N B S R )
NP 
P
Same Equation
 Correction for N60 in Granular Soil
• In granular soils, the value of N60 is affected by the effective
overburden pressure, σ′v. Because of greater confinement caused
by increasing depths, sand can exhibit different N-values at
different depths even though its relative density is same. For that
reason, the value of N60 obtained from field exploration under
different effective overburden pressures should be changed to
correspond to a standard value of σ′v.
• (An effective overburden pressure of approximately 1 ton/ft2 or 100
kN/m2 or 2000 lb/ft2 is considered to be the standard value.)
• A correction factor CN is to be applied to N60 for the overburden
pressures (at the depth to which test is conducted) other than the
standard value. So the corrected N60 is
• Several correlations have been developed over the years for the
correction factor, C N . They are given below.
Liao and Whitman’s relationship (1986):

100 2000
CN  CN  ,(σ′v in lb/ft2)
 v ,(σ′v in kPa)  v
σ′0 is the effective overburden pressure,
pa = atmospheric pressure (<100 kN/m2,
or <2000 lb/ft2).
Problem: A silty sand of relative density, Dr = 60% was subjected to
standard penetration tests at a depth of 3 m. Groundwater level
occurred at a depth of 1.5 m below the surface of the soil which was
saturated throughout and had a unit weight of 19.3 kN/m3. The average
N count was 15. During calibration of the test equipment, the energy
applied to the top of the driving rods was measured as 350 Joules.
Determine the (N1)60 value for the soil.

N H B S R 15  74  11 0.75
N 60    13.88  14
60 60
( N1 ) 60  C N N 60

100 100
CN    1.52
 v 43

(N1)60 = 1.52 X 14 = 21
Problem: Given, N = 20; rod length = 12 m; borehole dia. = 150 mm;
σ′v = 205 kPa; use safety hammer with Er = 80; dense sand; with liner.
What are the values of N60 and (N1)60?
[or Correct the field N-value considering a standard energy ratio of
70%]

Solution:

 H  Er  80%
N H B S R 20  80 1.05  0.8 1
N 60  
60 60
( N1 ) 60  C N N 60

E r 1  N1  E r 2  N 2
Dilatancy Correction:
• In saturated (under water table), fine or silty, dense or very
dense sands, N-value may be abnormally great because of the
tendentency of such materials to dilate during shear under
undrained conditions. Hence, in such soils, if N value >15,
dilatancy correction is made by the expression:
N   15  1 ( N  15)
2
• For gravels and coarse sands saturation has no significant
effect; so dilatancy correction is not required.
 Corrections for N-value

• Correction for field procedure (Energy Correction) is applied for

all types of soils.
• For cohesive soil there is no need for overburden pressure
correction and dilatancy correction (Peck et al.,1974 pp. 114).
• For Cohesionless soil, after correction due to field procedure
overburden pressure correction is made, then if it is fine or silty,
dense or very dense sands under water table with N value >15,
dilatancy correction is made.