Interpretation of Impact Penetration Measurements in Soft Clays
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 6
Abstract
The need for obtaining estimates of undrained shear strength of shallow seafloor sediments often arises in offshore engineering practice. Impact penetrometers offer a promising means of obtaining strength estimates in such sediments. However, variable conditions of embedment and velocity require careful consideration in the interpretation of impact penetration tests. This paper presents an analysis of the expendable bottom penetrometer (XBP), a device that measures acceleration during impact penetration. The analyses indicate that acceleration measurements can be reasonably related to undrained shear strength of soft clays. Further, acceleration measurements can be integrated to obtain velocity and embedment depth data at any point during the penetration analysis, thereby providing a basis for accounting for rate and embedment effects. Applying the proposed analysis to data from a series of test sites in the Gulf of Mexico indicate satisfactory agreement between XBP and reference strength profiles in soft clays.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would like to acknowledge the support of the Department of Defense Office of Naval Research. They would also like to acknowledge the guidance and assistance from Dr. Roy Wilkens of the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, Dr. Philip Valent from the Stennis Naval Research Laboratory, and Dr. Andrei Abelev from the Department of Marine Science at the University of Southern Mississippi.ONR
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 132 • Issue 6 • June 2006
Pages: 770 - 777
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Mar 11, 2005
Accepted: Jul 14, 2005
Published online: Jun 1, 2006
Published in print: Jun 2006
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