Geotechnical Site Characterization by
Cone Penetration Testing
Paul W. Mayne, PhD, P.E.
Professor, Geosystems
Civil & Environmental
Engineering
Mid-America
Earthquake Center
FHWA
Anvil
63.5-kg Drop
Hammer
Repeatedly
Falling 0.76 m
Standard Penetration Test
Rotary-drilled
Borehole
Split-Barrel
(Drive) Sampler:
O.D. = 50 mm
I.D. = 35 mm
L = 760 mm
Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
Procedures: ASTM D 1586
N = measured Number of Blows to
drive sampler 300 mm into soil.
Representative SPT Profile
Downtown Memphis
SPT-N (bpf)
0
20
40
60
Soil Profile
80
100
Depth (meters)
4
8
12
16
20
1982 B1
Fill
1982-B3
Silty Sand
1982-B5
Sandy
Silt
Gravelly
Sand
Desiccated
OC Clay
24
Clayey
Sand
28
OC Clay
Gravelly Sand
Corrections to SPT N-value
Effect
Overburden
Stress
Term
vo'
CN
Value
(Pa/ vo')0.5 but < 2
Energy
Ratio1
Safety Hammer
CE
0.6 to 0.85
0.3 to 0.6
0.85 to 1.0
Borehole
Diameter
65 to 115 mm
CB
Sampling
Method
Standard sampler
CS
1.00
1.05
1.15
1.0
1.1 to 1.3
Donut Hammer
Automatic Hammer
150 mm
200 mm
Particle
Size
Sampler without
liner
10 m to 30 m
6 to 10 m
4 to 6 m
3 to 4 m
Median Grain Size (D50) of
Sand in mm
Aging
Time (t) in years since
deposition
Rod
Length
Overconsolidation
Variable
OCR
Obtain by energy measurement per ASTM D4633
CR
1.0
0.95
0.85
0.75
CP
60 + 25 log D50
CA
1.2 + 0.05 log
(t/100)
COCR
OCR0.2
Corrections to SPT N-value
Nmeasured = Raw SPT Resistance (ASTM D 1586).
N60 = (ER/60) Nmeasured = Energy-Corrected N Value
where ER = energy ratio (ASTM D 4633). Note: 30% <
ER < 100% with average ER = 60% in the U.S.
N60
CE CB CS CR Nmeas = Estimated corrected N
(N1)60 = CN N60 = Energy-Corrected SPT Value
normalized to an effective overburden stress of one
atmosphere: (N1)60 = (N60)/( vo)0.5
with stress given
in atm. (Note: 1 atm = 1 bar = 100 kPa = 1 tsf).
Cone Penetrometers
Electronic Steel Probes with 60 Apex Tip
ASTM D 5778 Procedures
Hydraulic Push at 20 mm/s
No Boring, No Samples, No Cuttings, No Spoil
Continuous readings of stress, friction, pressure
Cone Penetration Tests (CPT)
Cone Trucks
Mobile 25-tonne rigs with
enclosed cabins to allow
testing under all weather
conditions
Corrections to CPT
Tip Stress correction for porewater
pressures on unequal areas Important
in Intact Clays & Silts
Sleeve Friction correction for porewater
pressures Use equal end areas on
friction sleeve
Baseline corrections Obtain before &
after sounding
Anchored Cone Rig
Mud Island, Downtown Memphis, TN
6-tonne Geostar truck
with 20-tonne hydraulic
pushing system
No special license
Twin earth anchors
Has penetrated to
depths over 32+ meters
at sites in SC, AL, MO,
TN, & AL
CPT Profile, Downhole Memphis
qt (MPa)
Depth (m eters)
fs
ub
qt
20
40
u b (kPa)
fs (kPa)
60
500
1000
-200
12
12
12
16
16
16
20
20
20
24
24
24
28
28
28
200 400 600 800
Comparison CPT and SPT
Downtown Memphis
SPT-N (bpf) and qc (MPa)
0
20
40
60
80
0
4
1982 B1
1982-B3
Depth (meters)
8
12
16
20
24
28
1982-B5
CPT-qc (MPa)
100
Seismic Piezocone Test
Obtains Four Independent
Measurements with Depth:
Cone Tip Stress, qt
Penetration Porewater Pressure, u
Sleeve Friction, fs
Arrival Time of Downhole Shear
Wave, ts
Vs
fs
u2
u1
60o
qc
Downhole Shear Wave Velocity
Anchoring System
Automated Source
Polarized Wave
Downhole Vs
Automated Seismic Source
Electronicallyactuated
Self-contained
Left and right
polarization
Modified beam
uses fin to enhance
shear wave
generation
Successfully
tested to depths of
20m
Capable of being
used with traditional
Downhole Shear Waves
Left Strike
0.08
0.06
Amplitude
0.04
Right Strike
0.02
0
-0.02 0
50
100
150
CROSSOVER Method
200
Time (ms)
-0.04
-0.06
-0.08
0.08
0.06
Shear Wave at 8.15 m
Amplitude
0.04
0.02
Shear Wave at 9.20 m
0
-0.02 0
50
100
150
200
Time (ms)
-0.04
CROSSCORRELATION
-0.06
-0.08
500
500
400
400
300
300
200
200
100
100
0
0
-100 -5
-100-200
-200
-200
-300
-300
-400
-400
Maximum crosscorrelation at t = 6.75 ms
Shear wave velocity = 155 m/s
-150
0
-100
-50
10
50
100
15
150
200
20
Time shift
(ms)
Seismic Cone Penetrometer Data
Sounding performed for research
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
Sod Farm, Charleston, SC
qt (MPa)
Depth (m)
10
fs (kPa)
20
100
200
U2, U0 (kPa)
300
-100
400
900
Vs (m/s)
0
1400
12
12
12
12
16
16
16
16
20
20
20
20
24
24
24
24
28
28
28
28
32
32
32
32
36
36
36
36
400
800
CPT Soil Behavioral Classification
Soil Behavior Type (Robertson et al., 1986; Robertson & Campanella, 1988)
1 Sensitive fine grained
5 Clayey silt to silty clay
9 sand
2 Organic material
6 Sandy silt to silty sand
10 Gravelly sand to sand
3 Clay
7 Silty sand to sandy silt
11 Very stiff fine grained*
4 Silty clay to clay
8 Sand to silty sand
12 Sand to clayey sand*
*Note: Overconsolidated or cemented
Sounding - Shelby County, TN
0
0
qt (MPa)
5 10 15 20 25
Friction Ratio (%)
0123 45678
0
u2 (kPa)
Vs (m/sec)
0
250
500
-500 500 1500 2500
SM
Clayey
SiltSilt
Dense Sand
Depth BGS (m)
Dense Sand
10
10
10
10
15
15
15
15
20
20
20
20
25
25
25
25
Stiff Clay
CPT-Related Websites
The Liquefaction Site (and CPT site):
www.liquefaction.com
Link page to manufacturers, suppliers, and CPT services:
http://www.usucger.org/insitulinks.html
Listing of available videos on CPT and other in-situ tests:
http://www.geoinstitute.org/in-situ.html
The book Cone Penetration Testing in Geotechnical Practice
(Lunne, Robertson, & Powell, 1997):
Review: http://geotech.civen.okstate.edu/magazine/books/
Order:
http://www.routledge-ny.com/
