Determining soil permeability from pressuremeter tests

D Rangeard,R Zentar,P Y Hicher

doi:10.1002/nag.258

Abstract

AbstractThis paper presents a methodology for identifying soil permeability from pressuremeter test. On the first part we present a numerical analysis of the permeability effects on the test results. We demonstrate that different drainage conditions arise during test, as a function of the loading rate and the soil permeability. We also studied the pore pressure dissipation during strain holding stages. Based on this analysis of these tests, we propose a general procedure to identify simultaneously mechanical parameters and permeability from pressuremeter tests with strain holding test stages. This procedure was applied on tests performed on natural Saint–Herblain clay. An apparatus called pressio‐triax was developed for this purpose. The values of the mechanical parameters as well as of the permeability value were found to agree very well with the values of the same parameters obtained from conventional laboratory tests. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Highlights

The particular test known as pressuremeter test was first developed by Menard and his coworker in 1955 [1]
Our aim was to prove the importance of radial permeability on a pressuremeter test result realized on natural soft clay
A numerical study was undertaken by using a finite element code CESAR LCPC, and by modelling the behaviour of the soil with the modified Cam-Clay model. These studies highlighted the influence of the radial permeability on the stress path and on the pressuremeter curve

Summary

Introduction

The particular test known as pressuremeter test was first developed by Menard and his coworker in 1955 [1]. In order to minimize disturbance in the soil, a selfboring pressuremeter test was developed independently, at the ‘Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chausse!es [2] and at Cambridge University [3] in 1972’. This test consists of expanding a cylindrical cavity in an infinite medium. The pressuremeter probe is inflated at a controlled strain rate while the pressure and the volume change of the cavity are measured This kind of test is well known in geotechnical engineering and considerable research work has been done on this problem (see for example the pioneer studies of Gibson and Anderson [4], Palmer [5])

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion