Obtaining 2D Soil Resistance Profiles from the Integration of Electrical Resistivity Data and Standard Penetration Test (SPT) and Light Dynamic Penetrometer (DPL) Resistance Tests—Applications in Mass Movements Studies

In Brazil and various regions globally, the initiation of landslides is frequently associated with rainfall;yet the spatial arrangement of geological structures and stratification considerably influences landslide occurrences. The multifaceted nature of these influences makes the surveillance of mass movements a highly intricate task, requiring an understanding of numerous interdependent variables. Recent years have seen an emergence in scholarly research aimed at integrating geophysical and geotechnical methodologies. The conjoint examination of geophysical and geotechnical data offers an enhanced perspective into subsurface structures. Within this work, a methodology is proposed for the synchronous analysis of electrical resistivity geophysical data and geotechnical data, specifically those extracted from the Light Dynamic Penetrometer (DPL) and Standard Penetration Test (SPT). This study involved a linear fitting process to correlate resistivity with N10/SPT N-values from DPL/SPT soundings, culminating in a 2D profile of N10/SPT N-values predicated on electrical profiles. The findings of this research furnish invaluable insights into slope stability by allowing for a two-dimensional representation of penetration resistance properties. Through the synthesis of geophysical and geotechnical data, this project aims to augment the comprehension of subsurface conditions, with potential implications for refining landslide risk evaluations. This endeavor offers insight into the formulation of more effective and precise slope management protocols and disaster prevention strategies.

Comparison of Vs and SPT Soil Liquefaction Assessments of NCEER: Including Hypothesis Testing

Soil liquefaction is one of the complex research topics in geotechnical engineering and engineering geology. Especially after the 1964 Niigata earthquake (Japan) induced many soil liquefaction incidents, a variety of soil liquefaction studies were conducted and reported, including the liquefaction potential assessment methods utilizing the shear wave velocity (Vs) or SPT-N profiles (SPT: standard penetration test). This study used the Vs and SPT methods recommended by the National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (NCEER) to examine which is more conservative according to the assessment results on 41 liquefiable soil layers at sites in two major cities in Taiwan. Statistical hypothesis testing was used to make the analysis more quantitative and objective. Based on three sets of hypothesis tests, it shows that the hypothesis—the SPT method is more conservative than the Vs method—was not rejected on a 5% level of significance.

Study of LDBPs Shaft Skin Friction for Piles in Cohesiove Soils

The methodology of predicting pile shaft skin ultimate friction has been studied in a systematic way. In the light of that, the analysis of the pile shaft resistance for bored and cast in situ piles in cohesive soils was carried out thoroughly in the basis of field performance data of 10 fully instrumented large diameter bored piles (LDBPs) used as the bridge foundation. The undrained strength index μ in term of cohesive soils was brought forward in allusion to the cohesive soils in the consistence plastic state, and can effectively combine the friction angle and the cohesion of cohesive soils in undrained condition. And that the classical ' α method' was modified much in effect to predict the pile shaft skin friction of LDBPs in cohesive soils. Furthermore, the approach of standard penetration test (SPT) N value used to estimate the pile shaft skin ultimate friction was analyzed, and the calculating formulae were established for LDBPs in clay and silt clay respectively.

Proposals of SPT-CPT and DPL-CPT correlations for sandy soils in Brazil

Field tests in geotechnical engineering are fundamental for identification of the underground conditions.The standard penetration test(SPT) is the most commonly used geotechnical approach. There has been an increase both in the use and application of the in situ tests: cone penetration test(CPT) and dynamic probing(DP). Several empirical SPT-CPT and dynamic probing light(DPL)-CPT correlations for sandy soils have been discussed in the literature. New SPT-CPT and DPL-CPT correlations for the sandy soils of the city of Vitoria, in the southeast of Brazil, are suggested in this paper. Statistical analyses to evaluate the quality of the data used are performed, and the suggested correlations are validated with several previous published datasets. The paper also provides some insights into SPT-CPT correlations and soil characteristics(i.e. the mean particle size and the fines fraction of the soil).

Use of GIS Based Maps for Preliminary Assessment of Subsoil of Guwahati City

Guwahati, the major city in the North Eastern region of India is growing rapidly in every aspect with major infrastructures like sports complex, educational institutions, hospitals, flyovers, multiplex halls, etc. Knowledge of the subsurface soil condition is necessary to ensure the structural safety and serviceability of the above mentioned structures before any construction. Therefore, contour maps of Standard penetration test N value, ground water table and shear wave velocity map using Geographical Information System (GIS) platform will be of great help to the foundation designers at the initial stage for site selection and preliminary foundation design under static and seismic condition. Contour maps of Standard penetration test N value at different depth and average contour map of N value of Guwahati city have been prepared. Standard penetration Test N values and depth of water table were taken from a data base of 200 boreholes up to 30 meter depth to prepare N value contour map of Guwahati city. A regression equation between shear wave velocity Vs and Standard penetration test N value based on twenty seven previous similar correlations was also developed. This regression equation was used to determine shear wave velocity of Guwahati city. The average shear wave velocities for 30 m depth for all locations had been determined and used to generate map on (GIS) platform. Other subsurface geotechnical information of Guwahati city like soil classification and depth to water level from ground surface is also presented in the form of GIS based maps in order to form a data base.

FIELD STUDIES OF SINGLE POINT IMPACT ON LIQUEFIABLE SOIL FOUNDATION OF HIGHWAY

A highway in the floodplain of the Abandoned Yellow River in the north of Jiangsu Province is recently remediated to reduce liquefaction potential using the dynamic compaction(DC)method of densification of in-place soils.Firstly,the liquefaction potential of the soil at the project site is analysed according to the code of seismic design.Then the in-situ single point impact tests are performed on the liquefiable soil.Settlement of crater,excess pore pressure,ground heave and lateral deformation under DC impact are measured and analyzed.Subsequently, the standard penetration test(SPT)and cone penetration test(CPT)are used for investigating the compaction effectiveness.At last,the improvement effect of DC is discussed according to the technical specification of dynamic consolidation to ground treatment.The investigation results indicate that the DC technique is an effective way for remediating liquefiable soil in highway engineering practice.

Bearing Capacity Analysis of Shallow Foundations Supported on an Artificial Fill(Substation at Kashari,Tirana)

The paper presents conclusions related to the design of shallow foundations,at the site where the Substation at Kashari,in Tirana is foreseen to be constructed.The project includes buildings with small to medium structures with 1-3 stories.The geological survey works include 6 boreholes of a depth 20.0 m,90 SPT(Standard Penetration Tests)tests,and laboratory works include 13 direct shear tests,27 unconfined and compressive strength tests,7 CU(consolidated undrained)tests and 9 UU(unconsolidated undrained)tests,etc.The foundation design must fulfill both,bearing and settlement criteria,but in this case the settlements of foundations are not possible to be calculated,since the laboratory works do not include any consolidation test.So,the local bearing capacity is expected to control the design in terms of bearing capacity and settlements.The local bearing capacity of shallow square foundations is evaluated by using Terzaghi’s formula,based on reduced shear strength parameters of soils below the bottom of foundations.The results are compared with the bearing capacity values calculated by using Burland and Burbdige(1984)method,based on the data of SPT tests.This method is used for checking the settlement(serviceability)criterion in the foundation design,when the direct settlement calculation is missing.The paper presents some conclusions related to local bearing capacity foundation-based design.

Prediction of seismic-induced bending moment and lateral displacement in closed and open-ended pipe piles:A genetic programming approach

Ensuring the reliability of pipe pile designs under earthquake loading necessitates an accurate determination of lateral displacement and bending moment,typically achieved through complex numerical modeling to address the intricacies of soil-pile interaction.Despite recent advancements in machine learning techniques,there is a persistent need to establish data-driven models that can predict these parameters without using numerical simulations due to the difficulties in conducting correct numerical simulations and the need for constitutive modelling parameters that are not readily available.This research presents novel lateral displacement and bending moment predictive models for closed and open-ended pipe piles,employing a Genetic Programming(GP)approach.Utilizing a soil dataset extracted from existing literature,comprising 392 data points for both pile types embedded in cohesionless soil and subjected to earthquake loading,the study intentionally limited input parameters to three features to enhance model simplicity:Standard Penetration Test(SPT)corrected blow count(N60),Peak Ground Acceleration(PGA),and pile slenderness ratio(L/D).Model performance was assessed via coefficient of determination(R^(2)),Root Mean Squared Error(RMSE),and Mean Absolute Error(MAE),with R^(2) values ranging from 0.95 to 0.99 for the training set,and from 0.92 to 0.98 for the testing set,which indicate of high accuracy of prediction.Finally,the study concludes with a sensitivity analysis,evaluating the influence of each input parameter across different pile types.

In situ-based assessment of soil liquefaction potential-Case study of an earth dam in Tunisia

The present paper examines the evaluation of liquefaction potential of an earth dam foundation in Tunisia. The assessment of soil liquefaction was made using deterministic and probabilistic simplified procedures developed from several case histories. The data collected from the field investigation performed before and after the vibrocompaction are analyzed and the results are reported. The obtained results show that after vibrocompaction, a significant improvement of the soil resistance reduces the liquefaction potential of the sandy foundation. Indeed, in the untreated layers, the factor of safety FS drops below 1 which means that the soil is susceptible for liquefaction. However, in the compacted horizons, the values of FS exceed the unit which justifies the absence of liquefaction hazard of the foundation.