P-Cone: A Novel Cone Penetration Test Device for Deep Foundation Design

Abstract

A novel cone penetration test device, the P-cone, has been developed to assist in deep foundation design and this P-cone device combines features of CPTU cone sounding technologies with capabilities to perform bidirectional loading at a given soil depth condition. Using two independent systems, the P cone measures shear stress versus movements of cone shaft and stress versus penetration of the cone tip at desired depths. P-cone tests were performed on large compacted clayey silt specimens in a laboratory fabricated chamber. Tests performed showed that the movements to fully mobilize the shaft shear resistance and tip resistance were close to 0.2 mm and 2.0 mm, respectively. The soil failure shapes around the cone tip investigated was found without the horizontal stress build-up around the cone tip and shaft.