Assessment of Existing SPT–CPT Correlations Using a New Zealand Database
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 11
Abstract
Using a database of approximately 900 data pairs from 230 sites of co-located cone penetration test (CPT) soundings and boreholes with standard penetration tests (SPT) in the South Island of New Zealand, this paper assesses the applicability of a range of existing SPT–CPT correlations. Simple linear SPT–CPT correlations for different soil types as well as correlations based on the soil behavior type index () from CPT data were assessed. The measured SPT data were poorly fit by all the correlations, with under- and over-predictions greater than 50% for between 40% and 55% of the database. The 95% confidence interval of the bias between predicted and measured SPT values was large across all variables. The bias varied significantly as a function of CPT tip resistance and sleeve friction, with underestimates at low values dominated by fine-grained soils (), and overestimates at high values dominated by silty sand to dense sand (). There was no clear effect of the different drilling methods on the bias observed across all parameters. These results highlight the significant uncertainty involved in the application of these correlations in geotechnical design and assessments.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The in situ testing database used in this research was developed using data from site investigation research partners. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Earthquake Commission (EQC) and the University of Auckland.
References
Akca, N. 2003. “Correlation of SPT–CPT data from the United Arab Emirates.” Eng. Geol. 67 (3–4): 219–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-7952(02)00181-3.
Anbazhagan, P., and T. G. Sitharam. 2010. “Relationship between low strain shear modulus and standard penetration test N values.” Geotech. Test. J. 33 (2): 150–164. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ102278.
ASTM. 2018. Standard test method for standard penetration test (SPT) and split-barrel sampling of soils. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2020. Standard test method for electronic friction cone and piezocone penetration testing of soils. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
Boulanger, R. W., and I. M. Idriss. 2014. CPT and SPT based liquefaction triggering procedures. Davis, CA: Univ. of California.
Brown, L. J., R. D. Beetham, B. R. Paterson, and J. H. Weeber. 1995. “Geology of Christchurch, New Zealand.” Environ. Eng. Geosci. 1 (4): 427–488. https://doi.org/10.2113/gseegeosci.I.4.427.
Brown, L. J., and J. H. Weeber. 1992. Geology of the Christchurch urban area. Lower Hutt, New Zealand: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Science.
Chin, C. T., S. W. Duann, and T. C. Kao. 1988. “SPT-CPT correlations for granular soils.” In Proc., 1st Int. Symp. on Penetration Testing (ISOPT-1), 335–339. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Balkema.
Cubrinovski, M. 2019. “Some important considerations in the engineering assessment of soil liquefaction.” In Proc., 13th Australia–New Zealand Conf. on Geomechanics, edited by H. Acosta-Martinez and B. M. Lehane, 19–36. Sydney, Australia: Australian Geomechanics Society.
dos Santos, M. D., and K. V. Bicalho. 2017. “Proposals of SPT-CPT and DPL-CPT correlations for sandy soils in Brazil.” J. Rock Mech. Geotech. Eng. 9 (6): 1152–1158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2017.08.001.
Douglas, B. J., and R. S. Olsen. 1981. “Soil classification using electric cone penetrometer.” In Proc., Symp. on Cone Penetration Testing and Experience, 209–227. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Elkateb, T. M., and H. E. Ali. 2010. “SPT-CPT correlations for calcareous sand in the Persian Gulf area.” In Proc., 2nd Int. Symp. on Cone Penetration Testing, edited by P. K. Robertson and P. W. Mayne, 9–11. The CPT ’10 Organizing Committee.
Fabbrocino, S., G. Lanzano, G. Forte, F. S. de Magistris, and G. Fabbrocino. 2015. “SPT blow count vs. shear wave velocity relationship in the structurally complex formations of the Molise Region (Italy).” Eng. Geol. 187 (Mar): 84–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.12.016.
Fujiwara, T. 1972. “Estimation of ground movements in actual destructive earthquakes.” In Proc., 4th European Symp. on Earthquake Engineering, 125–132. London: Taylor & Francis.
Hegazy, Y. A., and P. W. Mayne. 2006. “A global statistical correlation between shear wave velocity and cone penetration data.” In Site and geomaterial characterization (GSP 149), 243–248. Reston, VA: ASCE. https://doi.org/10.1061/40861(193)31.
Idriss, I. M., and R. W. Boulanger. 2015. “SPT-and CPT-based relationships for the residual shear strength of liquefied soils.” Soil Dyn. Earthquake Eng. 68 (7): 57–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2014.09.010.
Imai, T. 1982. “Correlation of N value with S-wave velocity and shear modulus.” In Penetration Testing: Proc., 2nd European Symp. on Penetration Testing, edited by A. Verruijt, F. L. Beringen, and E. H. De Leeuw, 67–72. London: Routledge.
Ishihara, K. 1996. Soil behaviour in earthquake geotechnics. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
Jefferies, M. G., and M. P. Davies. 1993. “Use of CPTU to estimate equivalent SPT N60.” Geotech. Test. J. 16 (4): 458–468. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ10286J.
Kokusho, T., T. Hara, and R. Hiraoka. 2004. “Undrained shear strength of granular soils with different particle gradations.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 130 (6): 621–629. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2004)130:6(621).
Kulhawy, F. H., and P. W. Mayne. 1990. Manual on estimating soil properties for foundation design. New York: Cornell Univ.
Liao, S. S., and R. V. Whitman. 1986. “Overburden correction factors for SPT in sand.” J. Geotech. Eng. 112 (3): 373–377. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1986)112:3(373).
Lunne, T., P. K. Robertson, and J. J. M. Powell. 1997. Cone penetration testing in geotechnical practice. London: Blackie Academic & Professional.
Mayne, P. W., and G. J. Rix. 1993. “ relationships for clays.” Geotech. Test. J. 16 (1): 54–60. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ10267J.
Mayne, P. W., and G. J. Rix. 1995. “Correlations between shear wave velocity and cone tip resistance in natural clays.” Soils Found. 35 (2): 107–110. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf1972.35.2_107.
McGann, C. R., B. A. Bradley, and S. Jeong. 2018. “Empirical correlation for estimating shear-wave velocity from cone penetration test data for Banks Peninsula loess soils in Canterbury, New Zealand.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 144 (9): 04018054. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001926.
McGann, C. R., B. A. Bradley, M. L. Taylor, L. M. Wotherspoon, and M. Cubrinovski. 2015. “Applicability of existing empirical shear wave velocity correlations to seismic cone penetration test data in Christchurch New Zealand.” Soil Dyn. Earthquake Eng. 75 (3): 76–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2015.03.021.
Ohsaki, Y., and R. Iwasaki. 1973. “On dynamic shear moduli and Poisson’s ratios of soil deposits.” Soils Found. 13 (4): 61–73. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf1972.13.4_61.
Ohta, Y., and N. Goto. 1978. “Empirical shear wave velocity equations in terms of characteristic soil indexes.” Earthquake Eng. Struct. Dyn. 6 (2): 167–187. https://doi.org/10.1002/eqe.4290060205.
Rix, G. J., and K. H. Stokes. 1992. “Correlation of initial tangent modulus and cone resistance.” In Calibration chamber testing, 351–362. New York: Elsevier.
Robertson, P. K. 1990. “Soil classification using the cone penetration test.” Can. Geotech. J. 27 (1): 151–158. https://doi.org/10.1139/t90-014.
Robertson, P. K. 2012. “Interpretation of in-situ tests–some insights.” In Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Site Characterization (ISC-4). London: CRC Press.
Robertson, P. K., R. G. Campanella, D. Gillespie, and J. Greig. 1986. “Use of piezometer cone data.” In Use of in situ tests in geotechnical engineering, 1263–1280. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Robertson, P. K., R. G. Campanella, and A. Wightman. 1983. “SPT-CPT correlations.” J. Geotech. Eng. 109 (11): 1449–1459. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1983)109:11(1449).
Robertson, P. K., and C. E. Wride. 1998. “Evaluating cyclic liquefaction potential using the cone penetration test.” Can. Geotech. J. 35 (3): 442–459. https://doi.org/10.1139/t98-017.
Rollins, K. M., N. B. Diehl, and T. J. Weaver. 1998. “Implications of Vs-BPT (N1)60 correlations for liquefaction assessment in gravels.” In Geotechnical earthquake engineering and soil dynamics III, 506–517. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Ruppert, D., S. J. Sheather, and M. P. Wand. 1995. “An effective bandwidth selector for local least squares regression.” J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 90 (432): 1257–1270. https://doi.org/10.1080/01621459.1995.10476630.
Schmertmann, J. H. 1970. “Static cone to compute static settlement over sand.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div. 96 (3): 1011–1043. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSFEAQ.0001418.
Schnaid, F. 2008. In situ testing in geomechanics: The main tests. London: CRC Press.
Seed, H. B., and I. M. Idriss. 1981. “Evaluation of liquefaction potential sand deposits based on observation of performance in previous earthquakes.” In ASCE national convention (MO), 481–544. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Seed, H. B., I. M. Idriss, and I. Arango. 1983. “Evaluation of liquefaction potential using field performance data.” J. Geotech. Eng. 109 (3): 458–482. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1983)109:3(458).
Seed, H. B., K. Tokimastsu, L. F. Harder, and R. M. Chund. 1985. “Influence of SPT procedures in soil liquefaction resistance evaluations.” J. Geotech. Eng. 111 (12): 1425–1445. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1985)111:12(1425).
Seed, R. B., and L. F. Harder. 1990. SPT-based analysis of cyclic pore pressure generation and undrained residual strength. Vancouver, BC: BiTech Publishers.
Skempton, A. W. 1986. “Standard penetration test procedures and the effects in sands of overburden pressure, relative density, particle size, ageing and overconsolidation.” Géotechnique 36 (3): 425–447. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1986.36.3.425.
Standards New Zealand. 1988. Method of testing soils for civil engineering purposes. Wellington, New Zealand: Standards New Zealand.
Stroud, M. A. 1974. “The standard penetration test in insensitive clays and soft rocks.” In Proc., 1st European Symp. on Penetration Testing, 367–375. Fjärås, Sweden: Swedish Geotechnical Society.
Tanaka, H., M. Tanaka, H. Iguchi, and K. Nishida. 1994. “Shear modulus of soft clay measured by various kinds of tests.” In Proc., Symp. on Pre-failure deformation of geomaterials, 235–240. Rotterdam, Netherlands: A.A. Balkema.
Teh, C. I., and G. T. Houlsby. 1991. “An analytical study of the cone penetration test in clay.” Géotechnique 41 (1): 17–34. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1991.41.1.17.
Yu, H. S., L. R. Herrmann, and R. W. Boulanger. 2000. “Analysis of steady cone penetration in clay.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 126 (7): 594–605. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2000)126:7(594).
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 7, 2021
Accepted: Jun 23, 2021
Published online: Sep 11, 2021
Published in print: Nov 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 11, 2022
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
Cited by
- Ertan Bol, A new approach to the correlation of SPT-CPT depending on the soil behavior type index, Engineering Geology, 10.1016/j.enggeo.2023.106996, 314, (106996), (2023).
- undefined Poerbandono, Gabriella Alodia, Fauzan I.W. Rohmat, Fickrie Muhammad, Le P. Dong, Koen Geirnaert, The accuracy of acoustic measurement for seabed detection and the appraisal of density criteria associated with the nautical bottom in the Patimban port development area, north of West Java, Indonesia, Applied Ocean Research, 10.1016/j.apor.2022.103359, 128, (103359), (2022).
- Juciela C. dos Santos, Roberto Q. Coutinho, Geological and Geotechnical Characterization of Soils from the Barreiras Formation in a Subarea of Study in Maceio, Alagoas State, Brazil, Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 10.1007/s10706-022-02266-8, 41, 1, (107-133), (2022).