PROF. DR.-ING. E.

VEES UND PARTNER

BAUGRUNDINSTITUT GMBH

PLATE LOAD TEST

IN ROAD AND EARTHWORKS CONSTRUCTION

ACCORDING TO DIN 18134 TESTING PROCEDURES, TESTING EQUIPMENT, THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Waldenbucher Strae 19 Postfach 20 03 39 info@geotechnik-vees.de

70771 Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany 70752 Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany

Telefon 0049 Telefax 0049

(711) (711)

79 73 50- 0 79 73 50-20

Prof. Dr.-Ing. E. Vees und Partner

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THE PLATE LOAD TEST IN ROAD AND EARTHWORKS CONSTRUCTION

In Central Europe, road construction and pavement design are mainly based on the deformation modulus EV determined by the PLATE LOAD TEST. The deformation modulus EV can be understood as a modulus of elasticity. The more compressible a soil, the lower is the deformation modulus. THE PLATE LOAD TEST is described in DIN 18134 and with certain modifications in ASTM D 1195 and ASTM D 1196. The following description and evaluation of the test follows the German Standard DIN 18134.

EQUIPMENT AND TEST PROCEDURE The load is applied to a circular rigid steel bearing plate by a hydraulic jack in several steps. The settlement under each load step is recorded. The following sketch shows the principle of the test.

F = load s = settlement D = diameter of the plate

Fig. 1: Principle of plate load test The diameter D of the plate is generally 0.30 m. For very coarse grained material also plates with diameter D = 0.60 m and D = 0.762 m are used. The load is applied in 6 load increments of equal size. Under each load step the settlement must come to a noticeable end (< 0.02 mm/minute). After the maximum load is reached the unloading procedure can begin. After that, the plate is reloaded in 5 steps. A loaded truck, an excavator or a roller usually serve as counterweight for the hydraulic jack. This is shown in the next figures.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. E. Vees und Partner

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Fig. 2: Plate load test equipment. Excavator serves as counterweight.

Fig. 3: Bearing plate (0.30 m diameter) with hydraulic jack assembly and beam with dial gage to determine plate settlement.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. E. Vees und Partner

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The DEFORMATION MODULI EV are calculated from the first loading curve (EV1) and from the reloading curve (EV2) according to the following equation: Ev = 0.75 D / s Ev = deformation modulus = load increment = settlement increment = diameter of the plate, generally 0.30 m

s
D

For this calculation and s are usually taken from the load span between 0.3 max and 0.7 max.

The basis of the given equation is Boussinesqs theory of the relationship between the modulus of elasticity and the settlement of a circular rigid plate with the diameter D. The derivation of the equation is shown in the appendix.

As an example the result of a plate load test is given in the following table: Plate Diameter: 300 mm
F [kN] FIRST LOADING 5.65 11.31 17.67 23.33 29.69 35.34 UNLOADING in steps to half of the preceding load 17.67 8.84 0 RELOADING to the last but one step 5.65 11.31 17.67 23.33 29.69 80 160 250 330 420 311 353 378 398 413 250 125 0 395 360 259 80 160 250 330 420 500 115 209 287 325 380 421 Load Pressure 0 [kN/m2] Settlement of the Plate [1/100 mm]

Prof. Dr.-Ing. E. Vees und Partner

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The result of the test is plotted in a pressure-settlement diagram:

Pressure 0 in kN/m
0 0 0.3 0, max 0.5 1.0 0.7 0, max 100 200 300 400 500

Settlement in mm

1.5 1.95 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.45 3.5 4.0 4.05 4.5
unloading
relo adin g

f ir

st loa din g

EVALUATION OF THE GIVEN EXAMPLE: FIRST LOADING (EV1)

s
EV1

= 350 150 = = 3.50 1.95 =

200 kN/m2 1.55 mm = 0.00155 m

= 0.75 0.30 200 / 0.00155 = 29032 kN/m2 = 29.0 MN/m2

RELOADING (EV2)

s
EV2

= 350 150

200 kN/m2 0.60 mm = 0.00060 m

= 4.05 3.45 = = =

0.75 0.30 200 / 0.00060 75000 kN/m2 = 75.0 MN/m2

Prof. Dr.-Ing. E. Vees und Partner

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DEFORMATION RATIO:

EV 2 75.0 = = 2.59 EV 1 29.0

Generally in road construction the following values of EV2 are required: subgrade: surface of sub-base layer: EV2 45 MN/m EV2 120 MN/m

For fine grained (cohesive) soils the deformation modulus EV2 which can be accomplished by compacting soils, depends on the index of consistency IC. Approximately the following relation has been found:
Ev2 [MN/m2] > 15 > 20 > 30 > 45 Ic consistency

> 0.8 > 0.9 > 1.0 > 1.2

stiff stiff very stiff very stiff to hard

Hard consistency of cohesive soils is encountered rarely. A deformation modulus of EV2 45 MN/m as usually required for the subgrade under pavements can nearly always be obtained by soil stabilization.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEFORMATION RATIO FOR COMPACTED SOILS Ev2/Ev1 2.0 2.2 to 2.6 3.0 4.0 fine grained soils coarse grained soils mixed grained soils rockfill material

Higher ratios than the given values are an indication that the soil had not been compacted properly.

Leinfelden-Echterdingen, November, 30th, 2004 gez. Prof. Dr.-Ing. E. Vees

Prof. Dr.-Ing. E. Vees und Partner

A1

APPENDIX
EVALUATION OF THE PLATE LOAD TEST ACCORDING TO DIN 18134 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Under a circular flexible load the stress is distributed in the ground underneath the plate. According to BOUSSINESQS theoretical approach this stress distribution can be described by pressure bulbs as shown in the following figure:

D=2R pressure 0 0 0.9 0 0.7 0 1 0.5 0 0.3 0 flexible circular load

3 0.1 0 4 z/R

Fig. A1: Contours of constant vertical stress beneath a uniformity loaded circular area Stress in the ground causes settlement. The settlement of a rigid plate approximately corresponds to the settlement of the so called CHARACTERISTIC POINT C of a flexible circular load.

C 0.845 R

Fig. A2: Definition of the characteristic point of flexible load on a circular area.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. E. Vees und Partner

A2

The settlement s of this characteristic point C can be calculated from the distribution curve of the vertical stress and the modulus of deformation EV:

0 0

1 1 1 s = dz = A EV 0 EV
A = stress area (see left figure) z1

(1)

According to Schultze / Horn1 the solution of equation (1) is:

s = 1 2

F 2 EV R

(2)

s = settlement = Poissons ratio F = resultant force R = radius of circular load = radius of bearing plate

With

0 =

F R2

we obtain

s = 1 2

0 R
2 EV

(3)

or

EV = 1 2

) R 2 s

(4)

Schultze, E. und Horn, A.: Setzungsberechnung in: Grundbautaschenbuch, herausgegeben von U. Smoltczyk, 5. Auflage, Teil 1, 1996, S. 225-254.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. E. Vees und Partner

A3

For = 0.25 equation (4) becomes:

EV = 1.5 R

0
s

Hence, for a given load increment and a measured settlement increment s the deformation modulus EV can be defined as:

EV = 1.5 R

or

EV = 0.75 D

D = 2R = Diameter of the bearing plate.

Leinfelden-Echterdingen, November, 30th, 2004 gez. Prof. Dr.-Ing. E. Vees