Cylindrical Cavity Expansion Analysis of Variable Penetration Rate Cone Penetration Testing Using an Anisotropic Soil Model

Measurements obtained during cone penetration testing can be strongly affected by the drainage condition and anisotropy of the soil being penetrated. The cone penetration test is analyzed herein using cylindrical cavity expansion within the explicit, finite-difference continuum mechanics program FLAC. The MIT-S1 constitutive model is used to simulate the anisotropic behaviors of sand and clay during cone penetration testing at varying penetration rates. The response of the soil during cavity expansion is examined at both the material level and spatially for loose-of-critical clay and dense-of-critical sand. Complexities in the response are presented and discussed.