Estimating shear strength of high-level pillars supported with cemented backfilling using the HoekeBrown strength criterion

Deep metal mines are often mined using the high-level pillars with subsequent cementation backfilling(HLSCB)mining method.At the design stage,it is therefore important to have a reasonable method for determining the shear strength of the high-level pillars(i.e.cohesion and internal friction angle)when they are supported by cemented backfilling.In this study,a formula was derived for the upper limit of the confining pressure σ3max on a high-level pillar supported by cemented backfilling in a deep metal mine.A new method of estimating the shear strength of such pillars was then proposed based on the Hoek eBrown failure criterion.Our analysis indicates that the horizontal stress σhh acting on the cemented backfill pillar can be simplified by expressing it as a constant value.A reasonable and effective value for σ3max can then be determined.The value of s3max predicted using the proposed method is generally less than 3 MPa.Within this range,the shear strength of the high-level pillar is accurately calculated using the equivalent MohreCoulomb theory.The proposed method can effectively avoid the calculation of inaccurate shear strength values for the high-level pillars when the original HoekeBrown criterion is used in the presence of large confining pressures,i.e.the situation in which the cohesion value is too large and the friction angle is too small can effectively be avoided.The proposed method is applied to a deep metal mine in China that is being excavated using the HLSCB method.The shear strength parameters of the high-level pillars obtained using the proposed method were input in the numerical simulations.The numerical results show that the recommended level heights and sizes of the high-level pillars and rooms in the mine are rational.

Experimental investigation on shear strength deterioration at the interface between different rock types under cyclic loading

The shear strength deterioration of bedding planes between different rock types induced by cyclic loading is vital to reasonably evaluate the stability of soft and hard interbedded bedding rock slopes under earthquake;however,rare work has been devoted to this subject due to lack of attention.In this study,experimental investigations on shear strength weakening of discontinuities with different joint wall material(DDJM)under cyclic loading were conducted by taking the interface between siltstone and mudstone in the Shaba slope of Yunnan Province,China as research objects.A total of 99 pairs of similar material samples of DDJM(81 pairs)and discontinuities with identical joint wall material(DIJM)(18 pairs)were fabricated by inserting plates,engraved with typical surface morphology obtained by performing three-dimensional laser scanning on natural DDJMs sampled from field,into mold boxes.Cyclic shear tests were conducted on these samples to study their shear strength changes with the cyclic number considering the effects of normal stress,joint surface morphology,shear displacement amplitude and shear rate.The results indicate that the shear stress vs.shear displacement curves under each shear cycle and the peak shear strength vs.cyclic number curves of the studied DDJMs are between those of DIJMs with siltstone and mudstone,while closer to those of DIJMs with mudstone.The peak shear strengths of DDJMs exhibit an initial rapid decline followed by a gradual decrease with the cyclic number and the decrease rate varies from 6%to 55.9%for samples with varied surface morphology under different testing conditions.The normal stress,joint surface morphology,shear displacement amplitude and shear rate collectively influence the shear strength deterioration of DDJM under cyclic shear loading,with the degree of influence being greater for larger normal stress,rougher surface morphology,larger shear displacement amplitude and faster shear rate.

Optimizing profile line interval for enhanced accuracy in rock joint morphology and shear strength assessments

2D profile lines play a critical role in cost-effectively evaluating rock joint properties and shear strength.However, the interval(ΔI_(L)) between these lines significantly impacts roughness and shear strength assessments. A detailed study of 45 joint samples using four statistical measures across 500 different ΔI_(L)values identified a clear line interval effect with two stages: stable and fluctuation-discrete.Further statistical analysis showed a linear relationship between the error bounds of four parameters,shear strength evaluation, and their corresponding maximum ΔI_(L)values, where the gradient k of this linear relationship was influenced by the basic friction angle and normal stress. Accounting for these factors,lower-limit linear models were employed to determine the optimal ΔI_(L)values that met error tolerances(1%–10%) for all metrics and shear strength. The study also explored the consistent size effect on joints regardless of ΔI_(L)changes, revealing three types of size effects based on morphological heterogeneity.Notably, larger joints required generally higher ΔI_(L)to maintain the predefined error limits, suggesting an increased interval for large joint analyses. Consequently, this research provides a basis for determining the optimal ΔI_(L), improving accuracy in 2D profile line assessments of joint characteristics.

Shear strength degradation of gas hydrate-bearing sediment due to partial hydrate dissociation

Extraction of methane hydrate from subseafloor reservoir may potentially trigger seabed slides and induce subsidence.To address the problems,it is crucial to properly characterize the phase equilibrium condition of pore hydrate and the shear strength of the soil.As one of the key constitutive components,the phase equilibrium condition enforces a constraint over pore gas pressure,temperature and unhydrated water content.Such a constraint,however,has been traditionally ignored in analyzing the mechanical behavior of hydrate-bearing soil.In this paper,a series of stepwise hydrate dissociation tests was performed,and the phase equilibrium condition of pore hydrate was determined,providing an effective way to evaluate the unhydrated water content during hydrate dissociation.Meanwhile,a series of direct shear tests was also conducted to explore the shear strength characteristics of the soil.It is shown that the shear strength of the hydrate-bearing soil can be significantly influenced by pore gas pressure,unhydrated water content,hydrate saturation and several other factors.In particular,the measured shear strength depends upon the initial water content of the sample,pointing to a potential problem that the shear strength could be wrongly determined if not properly interpreted.A shear strength criterion,which enforces the equilibrium condition of pore hydrate,is developed for hydrate-bearing soil,establishing a link between the equilibrium condition and the shear strength.The proposed equation describes well the shear strength characteristics of hydrate-bearing soils,remarkably unifying the effects of pore pressure,temperature,water content and hydrate saturation.

Prediction of the undrained shear strength of remolded soil with non-linear regression,fuzzy logic,and artificial neural network

This study aims to predict the undrained shear strength of remolded soil samples using non-linear regression analyses,fuzzy logic,and artificial neural network modeling.A total of 1306 undrained shear strength results from 230 different remolded soil test settings reported in 21 publications were collected,utilizing six different measurement devices.Although water content,plastic limit,and liquid limit were used as input parameters for fuzzy logic and artificial neural network modeling,liquidity index or water content ratio was considered as an input parameter for non-linear regression analyses.In non-linear regression analyses,12 different regression equations were derived for the prediction of undrained shear strength of remolded soil.Feed-Forward backpropagation and the TANSIG transfer function were used for artificial neural network modeling,while the Mamdani inference system was preferred with trapezoidal and triangular membership functions for fuzzy logic modeling.The experimental results of 914 tests were used for training of the artificial neural network models,196 for validation and 196 for testing.It was observed that the accuracy of the artificial neural network and fuzzy logic modeling was higher than that of the non-linear regression analyses.Furthermore,a simple and reliable regression equation was proposed for assessments of undrained shear strength values with higher coefficients of determination.

Effect of Mo and ZrO_(2)nanoparticles addition on interfacial properties and shear strength of Sn58Bi/Cu solder joint

The influence of Mo and ZrO_(2)nanoparticles addition on the interfacial properties and shear strength of Sn58Bi solder joint was investigated.The interfacial microstructures of Sn58Bi/Cu,Sn58Bi+Mo/Cu and Sn58Bi+ZrO_(2)/Cu solder joints were analysed using a scanning electron microscope(SEM)coupled with energy dispersive X-ray(EDX)and the X-ray diffraction(XRD).Intermetallic compounds(IMCs)of MoSn_(2)are detected in the Sn58Bi+Mo/Cu solder joint,while SnZr,Zr_(5)Sn_(3),ZrCu and ZrSn_(2)are detected in Sn58Bi+ZrO_(2)/Cu solder joint.IMC layers for both composite solders comprise of Cu_(6)Sn_(5) and Cu_(3)Sn.The SEM images of these layers were used to measure the IMC layer’s thickness.The average IMC layer’s thickness is 1.4431μm for Sn58Bi+Mo/Cu and 0.9112μm for Sn58Bi+ZrO_(2)/Cu solder joints.Shear strength of the solder joints was investigated via the single shear lap test method.The average maximum load and shear stress of the Sn58Bi+Mo/Cu and Sn58Bi+ZrO_(2)/Cu solder joints are increased by 33%and 69%,respectively,as compared to those of the Sn58Bi/Cu solder joint.By comparing both composite solder joints,the latter prevails better as adding smaller sized ZrO_(2)nanoparticles improves the interfacial properties granting a stronger solder joint.

Recent advances in the in-plane shear testing of Mg alloy sheets

Sheet-metal products are integral parts of engineering industries and academia research. Various testing techniques have revealed the deformation behaviors of sheet metals under complex stress states. Information obtained from tensile and compression tests, however, are insufficient for the identification of material parameters relevant to modern constitutive laws, which require experimental setups capable of generating various loading conditions and applying great amounts of strain to sheet metals. In-plane shear testing has emerged as an important method to overcome the challenges associated with tension and compression tests and can provide additional information about deformation behaviors under large plastic strains. Materials such as Mg alloys with poor levels of both ductility and formability cannot accommodate large plastic strains. Therefore, tension and compression tests have limitations in explaining the material behaviors that occur during sheet metal forming where large plastic strains are introduced. Many studies have been conducted to explain the deformation behaviors of Mg alloys under shear deformation techniques. These include severe plastic deformation(SPD), especially the equal channel angular pressing(ECAP)and equal channel angular extrusion, rolling combined with shear deformation i.e. differential speed rolling(DSR), and also in-plane shear for sheet metals, particularly under large levels of plastic strain. These in-plane shear technique involves the Miyauchi shear test, ASTM shear test, and twin bridge shear tests. Moreover, many experimental results have revealed that the evolution of microstructure and texture during in-plane shear is closely related to the failure behavior of materials. Therefore, this review is focused on techniques for in-plane shear testing that have been reported thus far, on the effect of in-plane shear on the microstructure development of Mg alloy sheets, and on the usefulness of in-plane shear testing to evaluate the formability of Mg alloy sheets.

Undrained vane shear strength of sand-foam mixtures subjected to different shear rates

The shear strength of sand-foam mixtures plays a crucial role in ensuring successful earth pressure balance(EPB)shield tunneling.Since the sand-foam mixtures are constantly sheared by the cutterhead and the screw conveyor with varied rotation speeds during tunneling,it is non-trivial to investigate the effect of shear rates on the undrained shear strength of sand-foam mixtures under chamber pressures to extend the understanding on the tunneling process.This study conducted a series of pressurized vane shear tests to investigate the role of shear rates on the peak and residual strengths of sand-foam mixtures at different pore states.Different from the shear-rate characteristics of natural sands or clay,the results showed that the peak strength of sand-foam mixtures under high vertical total stress(σ_(v)≥200 kPa)and low foam injection ratio(FIR30%)decreased with the increase in shear rate.Otherwise,the peak strength was not measurably affected by shear rates.The sand-foam mixtures in the residual state resembled low-viscous fluid with yield stress and the residual strength increased slightly with shear rates.In addition,the peak and residual strengths were approximately linear with vertical effective stress regardless of the total stress and FIR.The peak effective internal friction angle remained almost invariant in a low shear rate(γ′<0.25 s1)but decreased when the shear rate continued increasing.The residual effective internal friction angle was lower than the peak counterpart and insensitive to shear rates.This study unveiled the role of shear rates in the undrained shear strength of sand-foam mixtures with various FIRs and vertical total stresses.The findings can extend the understanding of the rate-dependent shear characteristics of conditioned soils and guide the decision-making of soil conditioning schemes in the EPB shield tunneling practice.

Novel Hybrid X GBoost Model to Forecast Soil Shear Strength Based on Some Soil Index Tests

When building geotechnical constructions like retaining walls and dams is of interest,one of the most important factors to consider is the soil’s shear strength parameters.This study makes an effort to propose a novel predictive model of shear strength.The study implements an extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost)technique coupled with a powerful optimization algorithm,the salp swarm algorithm(SSA),to predict the shear strength of various soils.To do this,a database consisting of 152 sets of data is prepared where the shear strength(τ)of the soil is considered as the model output and some soil index tests(e.g.,dry unit weight,water content,and plasticity index)are set as model inputs.Themodel is designed and tuned using both effective parameters of XGBoost and SSA,and themost accuratemodel is introduced in this study.Thepredictionperformanceof theSSA-XGBoostmodel is assessedbased on the coefficient of determination(R2)and variance account for(VAF).Overall,the obtained values of R^(2) and VAF(0.977 and 0.849)and(97.714%and 84.936%)for training and testing sets,respectively,confirm the workability of the developed model in forecasting the soil shear strength.To investigate the model generalization,the prediction performance of the model is tested for another 30 sets of data(validation data).The validation results(e.g.,R^(2) of 0.805)suggest the workability of the proposed model.Overall,findings suggest that when the shear strength of the soil cannot be determined directly,the proposed hybrid XGBoost-SSA model can be utilized to assess this parameter.

A consecutive joint shear strength model considering the 3D roughness of real contact joint surface

A consecutive joint shear strength model for soft rock joints is proposed in this paper,which takes into account the degradation law of the actual contact three-dimensional(3D)roughness.The essence of the degradation of the maximum possible dilation angle is the degradation of the 3D average equivalent dip angle of the actual contact joint asperities.Firstly,models for calculating the maximum possible dilation angle at the initial and residual shear stress stages are proposed by analyzing the 3D joint morphology characteristics of the corresponding shear stages.Secondly,the variation law of the maximum possible dilation angle is quantified by studying the degradation law of the joint micro convex body.Based on the variation law of the maximum possible dilation angle,the maximum possible shear strength model is proposed.Furthermore,a method to calculate the shear stiffness degradation in the plastic stage is proposed.According to the maximum possible shear strength of rock joints,the shear stress-shear displacement prediction model of rock joints is obtained.The new model reveals that there is a close relationship between joint shear strength and actual contact joint roughness,and the degradation of shear strength after the peak is due to the degradation of actual contact joint roughness.

A method to predict the peak shear strength of rock joints based on machine learning

In geotechnical and tunneling engineering,accurately determining the mechanical properties of jointed rock holds great significance for project safety assessments.Peak shear strength(PSS),being the paramount mechanical property of joints,has been a focal point in the research field.There are limitations in the current peak shear strength(PSS)prediction models for jointed rock:(i)the models do not comprehensively consider various influencing factors,and a PSS prediction model covering seven factors has not been established,including the sampling interval of the joints,the surface roughness of the joints,the normal stress,the basic friction angle,the uniaxial tensile strength,the uniaxial compressive strength,and the joint size for coupled joints;(ii)the datasets used to train the models are relatively limited;and(iii)there is a controversy regarding whether compressive or tensile strength should be used as the strength term among the influencing factors.To overcome these limitations,we developed four machine learning models covering these seven influencing factors,three relying on Support Vector Regression(SVR)with different kernel functions(linear,polynomial,and Radial Basis Function(RBF))and one using deep learning(DL).Based on these seven influencing factors,we compiled a dataset comprising the outcomes of 493 published direct shear tests for the training and validation of these four models.We compared the prediction performance of these four machine learning models with Tang’s and Tatone’s models.The prediction errors of Tang’s and Tatone’s models are 21.8%and 17.7%,respectively,while SVR_linear is at 16.6%,SVR_poly is at 14.0%,and SVR_RBF is at 12.1%.DL outperforms the two existing models with only an 8.5%error.Additionally,we performed shear tests on granite joints to validate the predictive capability of the DL-based model.With the DL approach,the results suggest that uniaxial tensile strength is recommended as the material strength term in the PSS model for more reliable outcomes.

Hydraulic path dependence of shear strength for compacted loess

Shear strength is an essential geotechnical parameter for assessing the landslide potential of loess slopes under rainfall infiltration and farm irrigation conditions on the loess plateau.However,the hydraulic path dependence of shear strength for compacted loess under varying rainfall infiltration conditions has not been thoroughly investigated yet.To this end,a series of direct shear tests and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)measurements are carried out on compacted loess.The shear strength tests were continuously implemented on loess specimens under scanning wetting paths besides initial drying paths.The experimental data quantitatively verify the significant effect of hydraulic paths applied to specimens on shear strength of compacted loess.The unique failure envelope of shear strength of loess is identified under the effective stress framework based on intergranular stress,which verifies that the effective stress framework can consider the effect of hydraulic paths on shear strength.Based on the effective stress,a shear strength formula is proposed to characterize shear strengths under varying hydraulic paths,in which the parameters from the soil-water retention curve and shear strength at saturated state are simply required.The proposed shear strength formula can properly predict the measured shear strength data of compacted loess experiencing three hydraulic paths.Furthermore,the distribution curves of transverse relaxation time for pore water in soil under varying hydraulic paths are simultaneously measured using the NMR method.The physical mechanism for the difference in shear strength of loess subjected to different hydraulic paths can be uncovered based on soil-water evolutions in pores in microscale.

Studies on Suction-Assisted Installation Behavior of Suction Caissons in Clay Under Various Undrained Shear Strengths

Suction caissons are widely used for anchoring floating platform and offshore wind turbines.Penetration of the suction caisson into the desired position under the combination of its self-weight and applied suction resulted from pumping out the encased water is integral to practical engineering.Model tests were carried out to investigate the suctionassisted installation of suction caissons in clay under various undrained shear strengths.It was found that there exists a critical penetration depth value.When the penetration depth is smaller than the critical value,the soil plug undrained shear strength is higher than intact clay(i.e.,clay prior to installation).However,when the penetration depth is greater than the critical penetration depth,the undrained shear strength of soil plug is lower than intact clay.The critical value decreases with the increasing consolidation time and undrained shear strength of clay.During suction-assisted installation,cracks occur around suction caissons.The installation way has little effect on the crack formation.The influence range(i.e.,the maximum distance between the crack and the suction caisson edge)was found to increase with the increasing friction coefficient of interface between the suction caisson wall and soil and decreases with the increasing soil undrained shear strength.In addition,the drained condition of the clay during installation is dominated by the caisson aspect ratio,the undrained shear strength and the friction coefficient between the caisson wall and clay.Equations to estimate the penetration resistance and the required suction to install the suction caisson are summarized.

The Characteristics of Glued Tensile Shear Strength Constituted of Wood Cut by CO_(2) Laser

The performance of engineered wood products is highly associated with proper bonding and an efficient cutting method.This paper investigates the influence of CO_(2) laser cutting on the wetting properties,the modified che-mical component of the laser-cut surface,and the strength and adhesive penetration near the bondline.Beech-wood is cut by the laser with varying processing parameters,cutting speeds,gas pressures,and focal point positions.The laser-cut samples were divided into two groups,sanded and non-sanded samples.Polyvinyl acetate adhesive(PVAc)was used to bond the groups of laser-cut samples.After assembly with cold pressing,the tensile shear test was carried out.Numerical modelling was carried out to determine the partial elongation and shear strain of the glue line.Based on this,the shear modulus and linear elasticity of the glue line were estimated.Scan-ning electron microscopy was used to assess the adhesive penetration into the porosity structure of the laser-cut samples,and the depth of the heat-affected zone.The laser-cut surface was analysed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.The wetting properties of the laser-cut surface were investigated by using a contact angle goni-ometer.The numerical model of the strain-stress curve confirmed the experimental model.The highest modulus of the linear elasticity of the glue in the numerical calculation belongs to the joint containing laser-cut samples at a gas pressure of 21(bar).The penetration depth of PVAc adhesive into the porosity structure of the laser-cut sam-ples was similar to that of sawn samples.The deepest heat-affected zone in the laser-cut samples was 150µm.A PVAc drop disappeared immediately on the laser-cut surface without sanding,but gradually on the sanded surface.In contrast,the drop on the sawn surface remained with an angle of 32°–48°.The degradation of hemi-cellulose and lignin was proven by the lower intensity of the C=O and C-O Bonds,compared to the sawn surface.

Modeling the Undrained Shear Strength with Soil Index Properties for Niger Delta Soft Clays

The aim of this study was to model the Undrained Shear Strength (USS) of soil found in the coastal region of the Niger Delta in Nigeria with some soil properties. The undrained shear strength (USS) is a key parameter needed for most geotechnical/structural designs. Accurate determination of the USS of soft clays can be challenging to obtain in the laboratory due to the difficulty in remoulding the clay to its in-situ conditions before testing and more accurate test such as Cone Penetration test (CPT) can be quite expensive. This study was carried out at Escravos site which is located in Delta state, Nigeria. Three Boreholes were drilled and soil samples were collected at 0.75 m intervals up to a depth of 45 m. Laboratory tests were used to obtain the moisture content, bulk unit weight, liquid and plastic limit, while CPT was used in obtaining the undrained shear strength. Classification of the soil samples was done by adopting the Unified Soil Classification System and various models relating the USS with the soil properties were developed. The result showed that most of the soils at Escravos site were predominately inorganic clay of high plasticity which are problematic due to the expansion and shrinking nature of this type of soil. The model developed showed that the soil properties that gave the best fit with the USS were the moisture content and effective stress of the soil. The coefficient of determination (R2) and the root mean square error (RMSE) obtained for this model were 0.805 and 6.37 KN/m2, respectively.

Shear mechanical properties and frictional sliding responses of rough joint surfaces under dynamic normal displacement conditions

A comprehensive understanding of the dynamic frictional characteristics in rock joints under high normal load and strong confinement is essential for ensuring the safety of deep engineering construction and mitigating geological disasters.This study conducted shear experiments on rough rock joints under displacement-controlled dynamic normal loads,investigating the shear behaviors of joints across varying initial normal loads,normal loading frequencies,and normal loading amplitudes.Experimental results showed that the peak/valley shear force values increased with initial normal loads and normal loading frequencies but showed an initial increase followed by a decrease with normal loading amplitudes.Dynamic normal loading can either increase or decrease shear strength,while this study demonstrates that higher frequencies lead to enhanced friction.Increased initial normal loading and normal loading frequency result in a gradual decrease in joint roughness coefficient(JRC)values of joint surfaces after shearing.Positive correlations existed between frictional energy dissipation and peak shear forces,while post-shear joint surface roughness exhibited a negative correlation with peak shear forces through linear regression analysis.This study contributes to a better understanding of the sliding responses and shear mechanical characteristics of rock joints under dynamic disturbances.

Evaluation of in-plane shear test methods for composite material laminates

In-plane shear properties of composite material laminates are very important in structural design of composite material. Four commonly used in-plane shear test methods were introduced in this paper. In order to study the differences of various shear test methods, two ASTM standard in-plane shear test methods for composite material laminates were experimentally investigated. They are ±45° tensile shear test (ASTM D3518) and V-notched rail shear test (ASTM D7078). Five types of composite material laminates composed of E-glass fiber fabric and vinyl ester resin were utilized, whose stacking sequences are 03s, 0/903s, CSM/0/902s, ±453s and (0/90)2/(±45)2/(0/90)2s, respectively. The test results indicate that the ±45° tensile shear test can predict shear moduli of composite material laminates accurately. However, the predictions of shear strength using ±45° tensile shear test are significantly lower than those of V-notched rail shear test.

Microstructure and shear strength of reactive brazing joints of TiAl/Ni-based alloy

Reactive brazing of TiAl-based intermetallics and Ni-based alloy with Ti foil as interlayer was investigated. The interfacial microstructure and shear strength of the joints were studied. According to the experimental observations, the molten interlayer reacts vigorously with base metals, forming several continuous reaction layers. The typical interfacial microstructure of the joint can be expressed as GH99/（Ni,Cr）ss（γ）/TiNi（β2）＋TiNi2Al（τ4）＋Ti2Ni（δ）/δ＋Ti3Al（α2）＋Al3NiTi2（τ3）/α2＋τ3/TiAl. The maximum shear strength is 258 MPa for the specimen brazed at 1000°C for 10 min. Higher brazing temperature or longer brazing time causes coarsening of the phases in the brazing seam and formation of brittle intermetallic layer, which greatly depresses the shear strength of the joints.

Bonding interface characteristic and shear strength of diffusion bonded Ti-17 titanium alloy

The bonding interface characteristic and shear strength of diffusion bonded Ti-17 titanium alloy at different bonding time were investigated. The results show that the average size of voids decreases while the amount of voids decreases after increasing to the maximum value with the increasing bonding time. The irregular void with a scraggly edge tends to an ellipse void with smooth surface and then changes to a tiny void with round shape. The grains across bonding interface occur at bonding time of 60 min. The shear strength of bond increases with increasing bonding time, and the highest shear strength of bond is 887.4 MPa at 60 min. The contribution of plastic deformation on the void closure and the increase of shear strength is significant even though the action time of plastic deformation is short.

Determination of undrained shear strength using piezocone penetration test in clayey soil for bridge foundation

In order to obtain the reasonable undrained shear strength Su for geotechnical analyses of bridge foundations in Yangtze River floodplain clayey soils, a site-specific study is conducted using the imported piezocone penetration test （CPTu） with dissipation phases at the Fourth Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge construction sites. Taking the values of Su from laboratory tests as references, several existing Su-predicted methods based on CPTu are compared and evaluated. To verify the presented cone factor Nk, additional test sites are selected and examined. The results show that the values of cone factors such as Nkt, Nke, and Nau, depend on the shear test mode and disturbance. Generally, the values of Nke show more scattering than those of Nkt and N△u. For the stratified and layered sediments of the Yangtze River floodplain, it is recommended using the net cone resistance qT to estimate Su and the preliminary cone factor values Nkt are from 7 to 16, with an average of 11. It is also confirmed that the CPTu test, as a new technique in site characterization, can present reasonable parameters for bridge foundations.