CPT calibration chamber testing on tailings

Abstract

The cone penetration test (CPT) is a widely used technique for on-site investigations. In the field, interpretation correlations of CPT can be established using laboratory calibration chamber tests. Empirical and theoretical correlations were developed for clay and sand under undrained and drained conditions, respectively. However, interpreting these results can be more challenging for intermediate soils that exhibit partial drainage during penetration and lie between fully undrained and drained conditions. Tailings, which are the by-products of mining and are often rich in fine particles, are a typical example of such intermediate soils. To gain a deeper understanding of the behavior of the tailings during CPT, a calibration chamber test was performed at a standard rate of 2 cm/s and subsequently at a slow rate of 0.02 cm/s, and the obtained results were analyzed.