Technical Papers
Apr 24, 2018

Application of Press-Replace Method to Simulate Undrained Cone Penetration

Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 18, Issue 7

Abstract

A simplified numerical procedure to model a deep-penetration process, press-replace method (PRM), was used to simulate a cone penetration test (CPT) in undrained conditions with finite-element software. A detailed description is given on how PRM can be implemented in CPT. The performance of PRM was validated by comparing results obtained with solutions from three other numerical approaches: large-deformation finite element (LDFE), steady-state finite element (SSFE), and material point method (MPM). For a wide range of soil rigidities, initial soil stress anisotropy and roughness conditions, normalized cone factors from PRM using a Tresca model, agreed within 10% of LDFE, and the average value was greater than LDFE by 4%. Total stress, principal stress directions, and magnitudes from PRM were also found to be similar to LDFE results. The PRM approach was then applied to a modified Cam-clay soil model. Excess pore-pressure distributions calculated around the cone agreed well with solutions by SSFE. For a smooth cone with various initial stress states, PRM calculated cone tip resistances that were approximately 7% more than MPM.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. Goh Siang Huat, Dr. Shen Ruifu, and Dr. Serene Hui Xin Tay from the National University of Singapore for their valuable suggestions given during the course of this study. The authors also thank Dr. H. K. Engin for answering e-mail queries regarding implementation of PRM, Dr. R. B. J Brinkgreve for his clarifications regarding soil models in PLAXIS, and all who have given comments for the improvement of this study. Finally, the authors deeply appreciate the help from Mr. Chua Tong Seng and Mr. Nonaka Takeshi from Kiso Jiban Consultants Co. Ltd. for clarifying issues regarding CPTu tests and sharing field data for the initial verification of PRM.

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Go to International Journal of Geomechanics
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 18Issue 7July 2018

History

Received: Mar 7, 2017
Accepted: Jan 15, 2018
Published online: Apr 24, 2018
Published in print: Jul 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Sep 24, 2018

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Authors

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Ph.D. Student, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National Univ. of Singapore, Singapore 117576. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5177-4987.
Siew Ann Tan [email protected]
Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National Univ. of Singapore, Singapore 117576 (corresponding author). E-mail: [email protected]
Kok-Kwang Phoon, F.ASCE
Distinguished Professor and Vice Provost, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National Univ. of Singapore, Singapore 117576.

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