Investigation of a coarse alluvial foundation for an embankment dam

1986 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. W. Hanna ◽  
G. Ambrosii ◽  
A. D. McConnell

Investigation of the coarse alluvial foundation for the Pichi Picun Leufu embankment dam is described and evaluated. Direct and indirect investigation methods are compared and an assessment is made of their relative adequacy in order to gain a realistic understanding of foundation conditions. Indirect methods—dynamic cone penetration testing and shear wave velocity measurement—calibrated by comparative testing in a test embankment, have been found to provide a satisfactory means of evaluating the density of thick alluvial deposits below the water table. Relationships of relative density, penetration resistance, and shear wave velocity are discussed. Dynamic penetration resistance normalized for effective overburden pressure appears to be the more sensitive indicator of changes in material density. Key words: coarse alluvium, relative density, dynamic penetration, shear wave velocity, test embankment, overburden pressure.

1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 686-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. K. Robertson ◽  
D. J. Woeller ◽  
W. D. L. Finn

Impressive progress has been made in the last 25 years in recognizing liquefaction hazards, understanding liquefaction phenomena, and analyzing and evaluating the potential for liquefaction at a site. Recent findings related to the application of the seismic cone penetration test (SCPT) for the evaluation of liquefaction potential under cyclic loading are presented and discussed. The SCPT provides independent measurements of penetration resistance, pore pressures, and shear-wave velocity in a fast, continuous, and economic manner. The current methods available for evaluating liquefaction using penetration resistance are presented and discussed. Recent developments in the application of shear-wave velocity to evaluate liquefaction potential are discussed, and a new method based on normalized shear-wave velocity is proposed. Limited case-history data are used to evaluate and support the proposed correlation. A worked example is presented to illustrate the potential usefulness of the SCPT for evaluating liquefaction potential at a site. Key words : liquefaction, in situ tests, seismic.


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