Relationship between the cone penetration resistance qc from method for static cone penetration test and soil properties

Abstract

Cone penetration tests are widely used for field investigation as sounding methods, which in-situ soil strength as the q_c value can directly be estimated. This test can also be conducted in the laboratory, grasping correlation with other laboratory soil test results, making it highly convenient and useful. This study investigated methods for estimating soil properties used for the design of earth structures from the cone penetration resistance q_c obtained from the static cone penetration test. Using soils sampled from 33 locations in Japan, cone penetration tests, unconfined compression tests and CBR tests were performed on precisely prepared test specimens. The results showed the effects of differences in the tip angles of static and portable cones as well as the influence of lateral confinement from the mold on cone penetration values. Based on the results, a new evaluation method for estimating soil properties was proposed.