1

Part 7. Geotechnical Characterization

C. Vipulanandan, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor of Civil Engineering
Director of CIGMAT
Director of THC-IT
Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering
University of Houston
Houston, Texas 77204-4003
I G M
A
T C
1994
Methods of Geotechnical
Characterization
1.Soil & Rock Sampling
2. In situ Methods
3. Nondestructive Methods
Elastic Waves, Resistivity
2
In situ Tests: Why? When? Where?
1. Sampling is difficult in Soils:
Soft Soils to Cemented Soils
Rocks (Soft to Hard)
2. Contaminated Sites (ESI)
3. Continuous Profiling (soft spots, mixed profile)
4. Bottom of a borehole
5. Time and Cost
Penetrometers (Since 1846)
TCP (from Tex-132-E)
CPT (from ASTM D5778). SPT (from ASTM D1586)
Dynamic Drive/
Soil to Rock
Static/
Soft
Soil
Dynamic/
Sandy
Soils
? in/100 blow
3
Standard
Penetration
Test (SPT)
4
45%
60%
95%
5
Drilling To Sample Depth
Drilling a soil boring using a flight
auger
Drilling a soil boring using the
rotary wash method
6
Performing the Standard Penetration Test
Connecting the split
spoon to the drill rod
Driving the spoon with
the safety hammer
Borehole ???
7
SPT Correction N
60
8
9
10
11
12
Texas Cone
Penetration
(TCP)
13
TxDOT Cone Penetrometer Test
TxDOT Cone (3 dia) Attaching TCP Cone to Drill Stem
14
15
TxDOT Geotechnical Manual
I G M
A
T C
1994
Uncemented
Clay Shale?
How to Identify?
DHP
Side
Friction?
End Bearing ?
16
17
TCP (in/100 Blows) vs. Rock Strength
The relationship between TCP and
unconfined compressive strength (q
u
) for
the uncemented clay shale rock can be
represented as follows:
CIGMAT Downhole Penetrometer (New)
18
DHP Steel
Case
Penetration
Piston
DHP head
Protector
Plate
Spring
Sliding Ring
DHP in the Field
DHP
Adopter
Kelly
Bar
Adaptor
Slurry
Ring
Moved
DHP
Kelly
Bar
Adaptor
Going in
Slurry Filled Borehole
Pulled Out
19
Sampler
Tube
Downhole
Penetrometer
Sampler Tube
(3in diameter)
DHP in Rock and Soil
qu-qmax Relat ion
y =9.0623x
R
2
=0.914
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
qu(psi)
q
m
a
x
(
p
s
i
)
Dallas
Results
Houston
Results
Lab Results
Lab
Results
20
GoldSpings for Soils and Soft Rocks
y=85.705x
R
2
=0.9334
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
DHP Displacement (inch)
q
u

(
p
s
i)
Green Spings for Soft Rocks
y=108.92x
R
2
=0.5782
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1 1.25 1.5
DHP Displacement (inch)
q
u

(
p
s
i
)
Gold Springs
For
Soils and Rocks
Green Spring
For
Soft Rocks
CONCLUSIONS
(1) SPT is a Popular method. Can be used
with Caution.
(2) TCP is used in Texas and few other
States. Further Verification is Needed.
(3) Down Hole Penetrometer Has the
Potential for Field Applications (?)
I G M
A
T
C
1994
21
I
G M
A
T
C
1994