Geotechnical In-Situ Tests (Summary Notes)
1. Plate Load Test (PLT)
Principle:
o Steel plate (usually 300–750 mm diameter) is placed on ground
or in pit.
o Load applied in increments, and settlements are measured.
o Load–settlement curve plotted.
Applications:
o For shallow foundations (up to ~3 m).
o Suitable for sandy soils, compacted fills, gravels, stiff clays, even
weathered rock.
o Used in highway/railway subgrade evaluation, shallow footing
design.
Parameters Obtained:
o Ultimate bearing capacity (qᵤlt): from failure point in curve.
o Allowable bearing capacity (qₐ): qᵤlt divided by safety factor.
o Settlement (S): corresponding to working loads.
o Modulus of subgrade reaction (k):
k=qS (kN/m³)k = \frac{q}{S} \; \text{(kN/m³)}k=Sq(kN/m³)
o Elastic modulus (E):
E=πqB(1−ν2)4ρE = \frac{\pi q B (1-ν²)}{4ρ}E=4ρπqB(1−ν2)
where B = plate width, ν = Poisson’s ratio, ρ = settlement.
2. Dilatometer Test (DMT)
Principle:
o Flat blade with circular steel membrane pushed into soil.
o At test depth, gas pressure inflates the membrane.
o Three readings taken:
p₀: lift-off pressure (pressure at which membrane just
starts to move). → Indicates in-situ horizontal stress.
p₁: expansion pressure (pressure at 1.1 mm membrane
deflection). → Indicates soil stiffness.
p₂: closing pressure (pressure when membrane deflates
back). → Used to check equilibrium and stress history.
Applications:
o Soft clays, silts, sands (generally fine soils).
o Provides continuous profiling with depth.
o Not suitable in gravelly/cobbly soils.
Parameters Obtained:
o From p₀, p₁, p₂ → derive indices:
Material Index (Iᴰ): soil type/classification.
Horizontal Stress Index (Kᴰ): related to in-situ lateral
stress and OCR.
Dilatometer Modulus (Eᴰ): soil stiffness for settlement
analysis.
o Derived design parameters:
Constrained modulus (M).
Undrained shear strength (sᵤ) in clays.
At-rest earth pressure coefficient (K₀).
3. Pressuremeter Test (PMT)
Principle:
o Cylindrical probe with expandable membrane inserted into
borehole.
o Pressure applied → cavity expands → volume change recorded.
o Pressure–strain curve obtained.
Applications:
o Works in soft to stiff clays, sands, and weak rock.
o Useful in design of deep foundations, retaining structures, and
tunnels.
Parameters Obtained:
o p₀ (Lift-off / At-rest pressure): soil’s in-situ horizontal stress.
o pL (Limit pressure): pressure at large expansion, related to soil
shear strength & bearing capacity.
o Eₘ (Pressuremeter modulus): slope of the elastic portion of
curve → soil stiffness.
o Can derive: φ′ (friction angle), sᵤ (undrained shear strength),
bearing capacity, settlement modulus.
4. Vane Shear Test (VST)
Principle:
o Four-bladed vane inserted into soft saturated clay.
o Slowly rotated until soil fails in shear.
o Torque at failure measured.
Applications:
o Best for very soft to soft clays (undrained shear strength up to
~50 kPa).
o Used in marshy, alluvial, offshore deposits.
o Not applicable in sands or fissured stiff clays.
Parameters Obtained:
o Undrained shear strength (sᵤ):
su=TπD2H/2+πD3/6sᵤ = \frac{T}{πD²H/2 + πD³/6}su=πD2H/2+πD3/6T
where T = measured torque, D = vane diameter, H = vane height.
o Remolded strength: by re-rotating vane after failure.
o Sensitivity (St):
St=su(intact)su(remolded)St = \frac{sᵤ (intact)}{sᵤ (remolded)}St=su
(remolded)su(intact)
→ Indicates soil’s structure and stability.