Reliability of self-boring pressuremeter in sand

Abstract

The cone penetration test (CPT) is viewed by a majority in the geotechnical engineering profession as a preferred in situ testing tool, while the self-boring pressuremeter test (SBPMT) is sometimes viewed to be of questionable reliability. A comparative statistical study of SBPMT data and CPT cone tip resistance is undertaken in this research to examine whether the test data do actually support the perceived notion. Data from seven sand and silt sites in western Canada and one location in the United States have been examined. The sensitivity of the SBPMT to the variability in the state of packing is quantified and compared with the corresponding values for the cone tip resistance. The results indicate that the sensitivity of cone tip resistance and the SBPMT data to the variability in the in situ state of packing is comparable. Comparison of estimates of procedural uncertainties in the SBPMT and the CPT also leads to a similar conclusion. These observations do not support the notion of a general lack of reliability of the self-boring pressuremeter at sand-silt sites.Key words: reliability, sand, self-boring pressuremeter, piezocone, inherent variability, procedural uncertainty.