Profiling Overconsolidation Ratio in

Clays by Piezocone and Flat

Dilatometer Tests

Paul W. Mayne

Georgia Tech
 Cavity Expansion-Critical State Model for CPTu-OCR

Soil Properties:
M = 6 sinφ’/(3-sinφ’)
φ’ = effective stress
friction angle
Cc = compression index
Cs = swelling index
Λ . 1 – Cs/Cc
IR = G/su = Undrained
Rigidity Index
G = shear modulus
φ’, Cc, Cs
su = undrained shear
strength
Georgia Tech
 Cavity Expansion-Critical State Model
• Cone Tip Resistance: qt- σvo = Nkt su

• Nkt = (4/3) [ ln(IR)+ 1] + π/2 + 1

• su = (M/2) σvo´ (OCR/2)Λ

(1 / Λ )
 (2 / M )(qt − σ vo ) / σ vo ' 
OCR = 2  
 (4 / 3)(ln I R + 1) + π / 2 + 1

Georgia Tech
 Determine Undrained Rigidity Index
τ = shear stress
τmax = su = cu = undrained shear strength

Define: Rigidity Index:

IR = G/su

τ/γs = G= shear modulus

γRef = 1/IR γs = shear strain

Georgia Tech
Cavity Expansion-Critical State Model
‰ ∆umeas = ∆uoct + ∆ushear
‰ Spherical Cavity Expansion: ∆uoct = (4/3) su ln(IR)
‰ CSSM: ∆ushear = σvo´ [1 - (OCR/2)Λ]
‰ CSSM: su/σvo' = (M/2)(OCR/2)Λ

(1 / Λ )
 (∆u / σ vo ' ) − 1 
OCR = 2  
 (2 M / 3) ln( I R ) − 1

Georgia Tech
 Type 2 Piezocone Model for OCR

‰ ∆umeas = ∆uoct + ∆ushear

‰ ∆u2 =(2/3M) σvo'(OCR/2)Λ ln(IR) + σvo´[1-(OCR/2)Λ]

‰ qt-σvo = (M/2) σvo'(OCR/2)Λ[(4/3)(lnIR +1)+π/2 +1]

Georgia Tech
 Cavity Expansion CPTu2 Model
1/ Λ
 1  q T − ub  
OCR = 2   
 .
195 M + 1  σ vo ' 
where M = 6 sinφ’/(3-sinφ’) and Λ . 1 – Cs/Cc

fs u2

qc → qT

Georgia Tech
 Fixed Wall Chamber Tests

ƒ Kaolinitic Clay from Slurry

ƒ Prestressed in Steel Chambers and
Unloaded to atmospheric conditions
ƒ Extensive lab testing (consol, triaxial,
direct simple shear, Ko-tests)
ƒ Miniature in-situ tests (electric cone,
piezoprobe, vane)

Georgia Tech
Fixed-Wall Chamber
Testing at Cornell
University

‰ Kaolin-silica mixture
‰ LL = 33, PI = 11
‰ wn = 34 %
‰ Prestressed to 0.5 atms

Chamber:
d = 1.5 m
H = 2.3 m

Georgia Tech
Miniature Cone & Piezoprobe Data
Chamber Tests with Cornell Clay
Piezocone Readings (kPa)
-50 0 50 100 150
0

200 qT

u1
Depth (meters)

400
u2

600

800

1000

1200 Georgia Tech

Applied & Predicted OCRs in Kaolin
Cornell Clay Chamber Tests
Overconsolidation Ratio, OCR
0 10 20 30 40
0

200
Depth (meters)

400

Triaxial Tests:
600 o
φ ' = 33.5 Λ = 0.75

800

CPTu2
1000
Prestress = 50 kPa
1200
Georgia Tech
 K50 Kaolinitic Clay in Flexible Wall
Chamber Tests (Kurup & Tumay, 1993)
Overconsolidation Ratio, OCR

0 2 4 6 8 10
0

0.1

0.2
CPTu Model
Depth (m)

0.3
Induced

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7 Georgia Tech

 St. Hilaire, Quebec
Overconsolidation Ratio, OCR
0 1 2 3 4 5
0

5
Depth (meters)

10

15 CPTu

20
Oedometer

Lafleur et al. (1988, CGJ)

25
φ ' = 28
o
Λ = 0.75
30

Georgia Tech
 Taranto, Italy
Overconsolidation Ratio, OCR
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
6

8
CPTu2
10 Oedometer
Depth (meters)

12

14

16

18 Battaglio, et al. (1986)

20 φ ' = 28
o
Λ = 0.80

22

Georgia Tech
 Saint Jean Vianney, Quebec
LaRochelle, et al. (1988)

Piezocone Reading (MPa) OCR

0 1 2 3 4 5 0 20 40 60 80 100
0 0

qt
1 1
u2
Depth (m)

Depth (m)
2 2

3 3

SCE-CSSM
4 4
Meas. sp' = 1 MPa

5 5

Georgia Tech
OCR from Type 1 Piezocones

(1 / Λ )
 1  qt − u1 
OCR = 2   + 1
1. 95 M  σ vo ' 

fs u1
qc → qT

Georgia Tech
 San Francisco Bay Mud, Muni Metro Station
Overconsolidation Ratio, OCR
0 1 2 3 4
0

5
CPTu1
10
Oedometer
Depth (meters)

15

20
Koutsoftas (1989)
φ ' = 29
o
Λ = 0.75
25

30

35

40 Georgia Tech
 Boston Blue Clay, Massachusetts

Boston Blue Clay Boston Blue Clay

Piezocone Reading (kg/cm2) Overconsolidation Ratio, OCR
0 5 10 15 20 0 1 2 3 4 5
0 0

qt Oedometer

u1 (apex) CPTu1
10 10

Depth (meters)
Depth (meters)

20 20

Baligh et al. (1980)

30 30 φ' = 33.5o Λ = 0.80

40 40

Georgia Tech
 Taranto, Italy
Overconsolidation Ratio, OCR
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
6

8 Oedometer

10 CPTu1
Depth (meters)

12

14

16

18 Battaglio, et al. (1986)

20 φ ' = 28
o
Λ = 0.80

22

Georgia Tech
Dual-Element Piezocones and Paired Sets
of u1 and u2 Soundings

Georgia Tech
 Bothkennar, UK Test Site
(Powell, et al., 1988)

Piezocone Reading (MPa) Overconsolidation Ratio

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
0 0

2 qt 2

4 4
u1
6 6

8
CPTu1
8
Depth (meters)

u2
10 CPTu2
10

12 12

14 14

16
φ' = 370
16
Λ = 0.80
18 18

20 20

Georgia Tech
 Dual CPTu - Haga Norway
Haga Clay, Norway
Overconsolidation Ratio, OCR
0 5 10 15 20
0

2
Depth (meters)

4
CPTu1
CPTu2
5 Oedometer

6 Lunne, et al. (1986)

o
7 φ ' = 34 Λ = 0.7

8
Georgia Tech
 Brent Cross, UK (London Clay)
Overconsolidation Ratio, OCR
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
0

2 Lunne, et al. (1986)

o
4 φ ' = 20 Λ = 0.75
6
Depth (meters)

CPTu1
8 CPTu2
Oedometer
10

12

14

16

18

20

Georgia Tech
 Cavity Expansion-Critical State
Method for Flat Dilatometer in Clays

Essentially, the lift-off pressure

is dominated by porewater effects
induced during penetration

p0 ≈ umax

Georgia Tech
CPTu-DMT Database: p0 ≈ umeas

Georgia Tech
CE-CSSM for DMT in Clays

Georgia Tech
CE-CSSM for DMT in Clays

Georgia Tech
 Conclusions
o Theoretical Basis for relating OCR to
normalized CPTu parameter (qt-um)/σvo’
and DMT parameter, KD.
o Cavity Expansion + Critical State Soil
Mechanics indicates importance of φ’,
Λ = 1 − Cs/Cc, and Rigidity Index, IR
o Calibration with Well-Documented Sites
fs u2
u1
→ qT
qc

Georgia Tech