A LIGHTWEIGHT DYNAMIC CONE PENETROMETER FOR EVALUATION OF SHEAR STRENGTH OF NATURAL MASADO SLOPES

Abstract

This paper presents a simple methodology for determination of in situ shear strength parameters by recently developed lightweight dynamic cone penetrometer. A series of laboratory calibration lightweight dynamic cone penetration tests, and direct shear tests with pore water pressure measurements were conducted at different void ratios and degrees of saturation. Based on the laboratory calibration test results, a method of determining void ratio, e from the data of cone resistance, qd was established for different degrees of saturation. A method of determining shear strength parameters from the data of qd was proposed based on the correlations developed between void ratios with qd and shear parameters.