Novel procedure for measuring the saturation of the pore-pressure system in piezocone tips

Uncertainty in the measurement of the cone penetration test with pore-water pressure measurement (i.e. piezocone testing CPTU) can be caused by an equipment malfunction, poor calibration and maintenance of sensors, but also by a lack of saturation of the piezocone. The standards allow for many different options in terms of filters, saturation fluids and methodologies. The novel device described herein aims at measuring in a very simple manner the degree of saturation of the piezocone prior to testing. Because the quality of pore-water pressure measurements can currently only be assessed a posteriori – that is, after the test has been completed, or at best while testing, the methodology proposed herein has the potential to provide quality benchmarks for CPTU. The tool measures a parameter inspired by the well-established Skempton coefficient B, which is routinely used to estimate the sample saturation prior to laboratory testing. Furthermore, by performing the same measurement after a CPTU test, it is possible to assess whether saturation was lost during cone penetration. The paper describes a set of preliminary results that show a clear correlation between the saturation degree of filters and/or of the overall pore-pressure measurement system and the B parameter proposed, thus providing a proof of concept in laboratory settings.