Penetration Resistance of Bengkalis’ Peat From Hand Cone Penetration Test

Abstract

In situ soil investigation on peat is not easy due to its low bearing capacity and high compressibility. Traditional in-situ test such as cone penetration test (CPT) are quite heavy which make movability on peatland difficult and slow. This study described the measurement of peat penetration resistance using portable hand cone penetration (HCP) test. The location of this study is at Bengkalis’ Island. Visual observation and laboratory tests show that peat at the site, mainly, can be classified as sapric and low ash. Dry unit weights range from 1.06-1.54kN/m3 with specific gravity range between 1.19-1.81. HCP test show that penetration resistance range from 84-674kPa with majority of it is at 300kPa. Estimated unconfined compression test suggested soft to medium consistency. Equivalent penetration resistances of full CPT are between 110-910kPa. There is tendency that higher fibre content may increase penetration resistance.