Regressive approach for predicting bearing capacity of bored piles from cone penetration test data

In this study, th e least sq u are su p p o rt v ecto r m achine （LSSVM） alg o rith m w as applied to predicting th ebearing capacity o f b ored piles e m b ed d ed in sand an d m ixed soils. Pile g eo m etry an d cone p e n e tra tio nte s t （CPT） resu lts w ere used as in p u t variables for pred ictio n o f pile bearin g capacity. The d ata u se d w erecollected from th e existing litera tu re an d consisted o f 50 case records. The application o f LSSVM w ascarried o u t by dividing th e d ata into th re e se ts： a train in g se t for learning th e pro b lem an d obtain in g arelationship b e tw e e n in p u t variables an d pile bearin g capacity, and testin g an d validation sets forevaluation o f th e predictive an d g en eralization ability o f th e o b tain ed relationship. The predictions o f pilebearing capacity by LSSVM w ere evaluated by com paring w ith ex p erim en tal d ata an d w ith th o se bytrad itio n al CPT-based m eth o d s and th e gene ex pression pro g ram m in g （GEP） m odel. It w as found th a t th eLSSVM perform s w ell w ith coefficient o f d eterm in atio n , m ean, an d sta n d ard dev iatio n equivalent to 0.99,1.03, an d 0.08, respectively, for th e testin g set, an d 1, 1.04, an d 0.11, respectively, for th e v alidation set. Thelow values o f th e calculated m ean squared e rro r an d m ean ab so lu te e rro r indicated th a t th e LSSVM w asaccurate in p redicting th e pile bearing capacity. The results o f com parison also show ed th a t th e p roposedalg o rith m p red icted th e pile bearin g capacity m ore accurately th a n th e trad itio n al m eth o d s including th eGEP m odel.

FEM-DEM coupled modeling of cone penetration tests in lunar soil

Cone penetration test(CPT)is an appropriate technique for quickly determining the geotechnical properties of lunar soil,which is valuable for in situ lunar exploration.Utilizing a typical coupling method recently developed by the authors,a finite element method(FEM)-discrete element method(DEM)coupled model of CPTs is obtained.A series of CPTs in lunar soil are simulated to qualitatively reveal the flow of particles and the development of resistance throughout the penetration process.In addition,the effects of major factors,such as penetration velocity,penetration depth,cone tip angle,and the low gravity on the Moon surface are investigated.

Fall cone tests considering water content, cone penetration index, and plasticity angle of fine-grained soils

This paper analyzed the consistency of some parameters of soils in the literature and experimental results from fall cone test and its application to soil plasticity classification.Over 500 data from both literatures and experiments using fall cone and Casagrande methods were compiled to assess the relationships among specified water content,cone penetration index ebT,and plasticity angle eaT of finegrained soils.The results indicate that no unique correlation exists among b,liquid limit of the fall cone test(LLc)and a.The water content at 1 mm cone penetration eC0T correlates well with b,plasticity ratio eRpT(i.e.the ratio of plastic limit to liquid limit),and a.Finally,the potential of using the btan a diagram to classify soil plasticity was also discussed.

Adaptive sampling strategy for characterizing spatial distribution of soil liquefaction potential using cone penetration test

Characterizing spatial distribution of soil liquefaction potential is critical for assessing liquefactionrelated hazards(e.g.building damages caused by liquefaction-induced differential settlement).However,in engineering practice,soil liquefaction potential is usually measured at limited locations in a specific site using in situ tests,e.g.cone penetration tests(CPTs),due to the restrictions of time,cost and access to subsurface space.In these cases,liquefaction potential of soil at untested locations requires to be interpreted from limited measured data points using proper interpolation method,leading to remarkable statistical uncertainty in liquefaction assessment.This underlines an important question of how to optimize the locations of CPT soundings and determine the minimum number of CPTs for achieving a target reliability level of liquefaction assessment.To tackle this issue,this study proposes a smart sampling strategy for determining the minimum number of CPTs and their optimal locations in a selfadaptive and data-driven manner.The proposed sampling strategy leverages on information entropy and Bayesian compressive sampling(BCS).Both simulated and real CPT data are used to demonstrate the proposed method.Illustrative examples indicate that the proposed method can adaptively and sequentially select the required number and optimal locations of CPTs.

Seasonal influence on cone penetration test: An unsaturated soil site example

Interpretation of electric cone penetration test(CPT) based pore water pressure measurement(CPTu) is well established for soils with behavior that follows classical soil mechanics. The literature on the interpretation of these tests performed on unsaturated tropical soils is limited, and little is known about the influence of soil suction on in situ test data. In this context, the CPT data are presented and discussed to illustrate the seasonal variability in an unsaturated tropical soil site. The test data show that soil suction significantly influenced CPT data up to a depth of 4 m at the study site. It shows the importance of considering seasonal variability in unsaturated soil sites caused by soil suction, which was related to water content through a soil-water retention curve(SWRC). It is also important to consider this aspect in the interpretation of CPT data from these soils.

Liquefaction-Induced Ground Deformations Evaluation Based on Cone Penetration Tests (CPT)

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the liquefaction-induced ground deformations of sand-like soils based on Cone Penetration Tests (CPT) at Semani site, Fieri prefecture in Albania. These tests are performed during the process of investigation of this area, in which a Liquid Natural Gas Terminal-Power Plant was supposed to be built. This paper presents the assessment of the liquefaction and of the liquefaction-induced ground deformations such as lateral spreading displacement and post-liquefaction reconsolidation settlement. The liquefaction-induced lateral spreading and post-liquefaction reconsolidation settlement are estimated based on CPT data according to the method in MNO-12 “soil liquefaction during earthquake”, presented by Idriss and Boulanger (2008). This evaluation is very important and should be taken into consideration for the design of engineering structures that will be constructed in this area. All the calculation’s results are shown in graphs. At the end, there are highlighted some conclusions regarding the liquefaction-induced ground deformations in this site.

Application of artificial neural networks for predicting the impact of rolling dynamic compaction using dynamic cone penetrometer test results

Rolling dynamic compaction(RDC),which involves the towing of a noncircular module,is now widespread and accepted among many other soil compaction methods.However,to date,there is no accurate method for reliable prediction of the densification of soil and the extent of ground improvement by means of RDC.This study presents the application of artificial neural networks(ANNs) for a priori prediction of the effectiveness of RDC.The models are trained with in situ dynamic cone penetration(DCP) test data obtained from previous civil projects associated with the 4-sided impact roller.The predictions from the ANN models are in good agreement with the measured field data,as indicated by the model correlation coefficient of approximately 0.8.It is concluded that the ANN models developed in this study can be successfully employed to provide more accurate prediction of the performance of the RDC on a range of soil types.

Development and Application of an in Situ Penetrator for Rapid Strength Testing of Submarine Sediment

In marine engineering, the strength of a submarine sediment is an indispensable parameter for assessment of construction. In this study, a free-fall cone penetrator named IPen was developed to realize a rapid and efficient measurement of sediment strength. The equipment is characterized by modular design and self-contained data acquisition. It is equipped with an acceleration sensor, a water pressure sensor, and a piezocone penetration test(CPTu) probe. It is designed to be released from near seabed surface with a releaser and then fall freely to provide a higher penetration velocity. Its maximum working depth is approximately 2500 m and maximum penetration depth is approximately 3 m. To derive the correlation between penetration resistance and sediment strength, a calibrator was devised to determine the penetration-rate factor. In addition, the factor applicable to in situ test points was determined in laboratory experiments. In June 2016, the IPen was tested in situ in the South Yellow Sea, China, during a shared voyage funded by the National Science Foundation. Meanwhile, undisturbed column samples were collected for laboratory tests. Based on the in situ test results, it was demonstrated that the IPen could accurately record the working states of various sensors during the freely falling course. IPen test results reliably reflected the sediment strength at all the testing points when compared with laboratory calibration tests, in situ vane tests and penetration tests, laboratory penetration tests, and unconsolidated and undrained triaxial compression tests.

Assessment of rapid impact compaction in ground improvement from in-situ testing

Ground improvement has been used on many construction sites to densify granular materials, in other word, to improve soil properties and reduce potential settlement. This work presents a case study of ground improvement using rapid impact compaction （RIC）. The research site comprises the construction of workshop and depots as part of railway development project at Batu Gajah-Ipoh, Malaysia. In-situ testing results show that the subsurface soil comprises mainly of sand and silty sand through the investigated depth extended to 10 m. Groundwater is approximately 0.5 m below the ground surface. Evaluation of improvement was based on the results of pre- and post-improvement cone penetration test （CPT）. Interpretation software has been used to infer soil properties. Load test was conducted to estimate soil settlement. It is found that the technique succeeds in improving soil properties namely the relative density increases from 45% to 70%, the friction angle of soil is increased by an average of 3°, and the soil settlement is reduced by 50%： The technique succeeds in improving soil properties to approximately 5.0 m in depth depending on soil uniformity with depth.

Prediction of the effectiveness of rolling dynamic compaction using artificial neural networks and cone penetration test data

Rolling Dynamic Compaction(RDC),which is a ground improvement technique involving non-circular modules drawn behind a tractor,has provided the construction industry with an improved ground compaction capability,especially with respect to a greater influence depth and a higher speed of compaction,resulting in increased productivity. However,to date,there is no reliable method to predict the effectiveness of RDC in a range of ground conditions. This paper presents a new and unique predictive tool developed by means of artificial neural networks(ANNs) that permits a priori prediction of density improvement resulting from a range of ground improvement projects that employed 4-sided RDC modules;commercially known as"impact rollers". The strong coefficient of correlation(i.e. R>0.86) and the parametric behavior achieved in this study indicate that the model is successful in providing reliable predictions of the effectiveness of RDC in various ground conditions.

In Situ Tests--Predicted vs. Observed Settlements： A Comparative Case Study

This paper aims to deal with the comparison of the estimated settlements derived by in situ tests with the observed settlements in site, in order to evaluate the accuracy of settlement prediction by in situ tests, in comparison not only with site observation by topographic means, but also with the values of settlements derived by numerical analysis by means of PLAXIS 2D and 3 D. The site where are carried out the tests and periodically are observed the settlements since the beginning of construction process, is located in the Oil Product Terminal, at the industrial park of Porto Romano, Durres, Albania. The main purpose of this project was the ground improvement by using preloading method in order to prevent liquefaction process and settlements. The data used to conduct this study are taken by the site investigation done after inserting into the soil vertical drains made of columns of free--draining gravel （gravel pile drains） until 14 m depth and center-to-center spacing of 2 m, and wick drains （premanufactured） until 25 m depth and center-to-center spacing of 1.8 m. The observed settlements are periodically measured by topographic equipments. This paper will present the conclusions derived by settlement analyzes from in situ tests and site observations.

Liquefaction Assessment in Golem Area, Albania, by Means of In-situ Tests

The liquefaction is a very significant phenomenon in clayey silty soils, silty sands and also sands. The high potential of liquefaction is generally recognized when these types of soils are laid under the hydrostatic water table. Low plasticity silts, silty sands and sands are found as recent alluvial deposits in the western coastal part of Albania, especially in the sandy beaches of Adriatic Sea near Durres City. The aim of this study is to evaluate the soil liquefaction potential in the area of Golem. Ten CPTUs （cone penetration test with pore pressure measurements） are carried out for the site investigation of soils. In this paper, results of the CPTU based liquefaction analysis are presented. The data of two CPTUs （10 in total） are analyzed and factor of safety was found by considering different levels of hazard and ground water. The results of liquefaction potential analysis show that the soils in the area of Golem have a high risk of liquefaction.

Cone Bearing Estimation Utilizing a Hybrid HMM and IFM Smoother Filter Formulation

Cone penetration testing (CPT) is a widely used geotechnical engineering in-situ test for mapping soil profiles and assessing soil properties. In CPT, a cone on the end of a series of rods is pushed into the ground at a constant rate and resistance to the cone tip is measured (qm). The qm values are utilized to characterize the soil profile. Unfortunately, the measured cone tip resistance is blurred and/or averaged which can result in the distortion of the soil profile characterization and the inability to identify thin layers. This paper outlines a novel and highly effective algorithm for obtaining cone bearing estimates qt from averaged or smoothed qm measurements. This qt optimal filter estimation technique is referred to as the qtHMM-IFM algorithm and it implements a hybrid hidden Markov model and iterative forward modelling technique. The mathematical details of the qtHMM-IFM algorithm are outlined in this paper along with the results from challenging test bed. The test bed simulations have demonstrated that the qtHMM-IFM algorithm can derive accurate qt values from challenging averaged qm profiles. This allows for greater soil resolution and the identification and quantification of thin layers in a soil profile.

Technique for Estimating the Cone Bearing Smoothing Parameters

Cone penetration testing (CPT) is an extensively utilized and cost effective tool for geotechnical site characterization. CPT consists of pushing at a constant rate an electronic cone into penetrable soils and recording the resistance to the cone tip (qc value). The measured qc values (after correction for the pore water pressure) are utilized to estimate soil type and associated soil properties based predominantly on empirical correlations. The most common cone tips have associated areas of 10 cm2 and 15 cm2. Investigators also utilized significantly larger cone tips (33 cm2 and 40 cm2) so that gravelly soils can be penetrated. Small cone tips (2 cm2 and 5 cm2) are utilized for shallow soil investigations. The cone tip resistance measured at a particular depth is affected by the values above and below the depth of interest which results in a smoothing or blurring of the true bearing values. Extensive work has been carried out in mathematically modelling the smoothing function which results in the blurred cone bearing measurements. This paper outlines a technique which facilitates estimating the dominant parameters of the cone smoothing function from processing real cone bearing data sets. This cone calibration technique is referred to as the so-called CPSPE algorithm. The mathematical details of the CPSPE algorithm are outlined in this paper along with the results from a challenging test bed simulation.

基于孔压静力触探试验测试数据的原位固结系数物理信息神经网络反演方法

固结系数是软基沉降计算和稳定性分析的关键参数,现有固结系数原位测试方法存在耗时长且精度低的缺点。根据孔压静力触探试验(piezoconepenetrationtest,简称CPTU)贯入机制与锥肩超孔隙水压力消散模式,采用圆孔扩张理论和轴对称固结方程描述CPTU锥肩超孔隙水压力的形成、发展和消散过程,利用神经网络自动微分功能将轴对称固结方程嵌入深度神经网络,通过物理方程损失函数、边界条件损失函数和初始条件损失函数形成神经网络的物理信息约束,同时将CPTU孔压测试数据作为数据驱动项,以最小化超孔隙水压力损失函数为优化目标,建立了CPTU孔压测试数据反演场地原位固结系数的物理信息神经网络(physics-informed neural networks,简称PINNs)模型。通过已有离心模型试验数据反演验证了PINNs模型反演场地原位固结系数的有效性,并利用CPTU孔压测试数据分析了PINNs模型反演原位固结系数的鲁棒性。结果表明:提出的PINNs模型能够有效利用CPTU孔压测试数据快速准确地反演场地原位固结系数;由于模型融入了物理机制约束,所需训练数据量少,且对有噪声的孔压测试数据具有较强的鲁棒性和泛化性能,为准确、快速可靠测试场地原位固结系数提供了有效途径。

国内外静力触探液化判别方法对比检验

静力触探试验(cone penetration test,简称CPT)具有独特优势,使其成为了海上风电工程的主要勘察方法。海上风电工程位于液化易发区,因此研究基于CPT液化判别方法的适用性和可靠性就成为亟待解决的突出问题。详细介绍了4种国内外具有代表性的CPT液化判别方法,并采用理论分析及大量CPT液化实测数据检验,对现行的美国国家地震工程研究中心(National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research,简称NCEER)方法、《岩土工程勘察规范》(GB50021-2001)方法(岩规法)、《软土地区岩土工程勘察规程》(JGJ 83-2011)方法(软土规程法)和《建筑工程抗震性态设计通则》(CES 160:2004)方法(通则法)等4种方法进行对比检验,提出了4种主要方法的评价结果。结果表明:NCEER法液化判别临界线在低烈度区存在不合理的回弯现象,在高烈度区存在临界值增大过快的问题,在Ⅶ度区深层偏于危险,在Ⅸ度区深层明显偏于保守,在Ⅶ、Ⅸ度区浅层和Ⅷ度区判别结果较好;岩规法液化判别临界线存在很大的问题,液化判别临界线随深度递减,液化判别时在Ⅶ度区浅层偏于危险,在深层明显偏于危险,在Ⅷ、Ⅸ度区浅层偏于保守,在深层偏于危险;软土规程法液化判别临界线在土层深度约6 m处存在不合理的回弯现象,在Ⅶ度区浅层判别较好,在Ⅸ度区浅层偏于保守,在不同烈度区深层均偏于危险;通则法液化判别临界线是符合目前认知的,在不同烈度区和深度下的判别效果是最好的。研究成果可为相关规范修订和工程应用提供参考与支持。

小孔扩张理论在原位测试中的应用研究进展

小孔扩张理论在原位测试理论分析方面具有显著的适用性和重要性。本文主要总结和阐述了小孔扩张理论在原位测试领域如静力触探(cone penetration test,CPT)、孔压静力触探(piezocone penetration test,CPTU)、旁压试验(pressuremeter test,PMT)等近年来的相关研究成果,具体包括锥贯阻力、孔隙水压力和基于CPT/PMT法的桩基承载力预测,以及相关土性参数(强度参数,如不排水抗剪强度、内摩擦角;状态参数,如超固结比与相对密度等)解译方面的应用。最后结合室内及现场试验的应用实例分析,对基于孔扩张理论在原位测试应用中所存在的局限性和不足作了相应的总结,并指出该理论未来还需进一步完善。

考虑黏土非线性特性的锥尖系数小孔扩张计算方法

当前规范中根据静力触探结果解释黏土不排水剪切强度采用的是推荐的锥尖系数,但该系数存在经验性取值的问题,更重要的是当前锥尖系数均是基于理想弹塑性土体模型导得,未考虑土体应变应变的非线性特性。为此,首先在ABAQUS有限元软件中模拟了圆锥贯入过程,评估锥尖阻力qc,饱和黏土采用双曲线硬化弹塑性模型,并使用ALE重划分技术防止网格发生畸变。有限元结果表明:土体刚度、锥面粗糙度和破坏准则等因素均影响着锥尖系数。同时在有限元中模拟了不排水圆孔扩张过程,得到球孔扩张极限承载系数的表达式。随后建立了锥尖阻力与球孔极限扩孔压力之间的等效换算关系,最后对工程实例进行了计算分析。

结构性土中静力触探孔压消散的大变形模拟

静力触探试验被广泛用于确定原状土的工程性质。黏性土中探头的连续贯入引起超静孔压积累,贯入停止后孔压逐渐消散。在结构性粉质黏土、黏质粉土或粉土中,贯入过程可能发生部分排水现象,导致其后续的孔压消散响应相较于不排水贯入时更复杂。将结构土剑桥模型引入有效应力形式的大变形有限元方法,模拟结构性土中静力触探试验的贯入-消散全过程,得到部分排水或不排水贯入后超静孔压消散曲线的归一化表达。通过与现有离心机试验对比,验证了大变形方法的可靠性。大量变动参数分析发现,可以合理忽略土体类型、土体初始结构和消散深度对归一化消散曲线的影响,该曲线可用于确定有效固结系数,进而预测常规固结系数。

基于CPT大直径钢管桩可打入性分析方法研究

在海洋工程当中,大直径钢管桩常采用液压锤进行施工,桩基可打入性的准确预测对实际工程具有重要的意义。为探究静力触探试验(cone penetration test,CPT)锥尖阻力与单位锤击能量的关系,通过将CPT锥尖阻力转化为单位等效锥尖阻力,定义阻能比为单位等效锥尖阻力与单位锤击能量阻力之比,基于9个场地、72根钢管桩打桩记录以及CPT测试结果,探讨了不同土层(粉土层、砂土层以及黏土层)中阻能比随深度变化的关系,提出了基于CPT锥尖阻力的桩基可打入性预测方法。研究结果表明:单位等效锥尖阻力与单位锤击能量随深度变化具有相关性,阻能比在不同土层随深度变化具有各自的规律性。通过获得的不同土层阻能比随深度变化的关系式,利用CPT锥尖阻力可以直接获得打桩需要的单位锤击能量。经工程验证,使用本文提出的方法,预测打桩过程中单位锤击能量可行且具有一定精度。该方法仅需已知CPT锥尖阻力即可对单位锤击能量进行计算,可以快速地对桩基可打入性进行初步评估。