Standard Penetration Test (SPT) IS: 2131-1981

• The Standard Penetration Test (SPT) is widely used to determine the parameters of the soil

in-situ. The test consists of driving a split-spoon sampler into the soil through a bore hole at

the desired depth.

• The split-spoon sampler is driven into the soil a distance of 450 mm at the bottom of the

boring

• A hammer of 63.5 kg weight with a free fall of 750 mm is used to drive the sampler.

• The number of blows for a penetration of last 300 mm is designated as the “Standard

Penetration Value” or “Number” N.

• The test is usually performed in three stages. The blow count is found for every 150 mm

penetration.

• The blows for the first 150 mm are ignored as those required for the seating drive.
 63.5 kg Number of blows for the first 150 mm penetration
is disregarded due to the disturbance likely to
exist at the bottom of the drill hole

0.75 m
The test can be conducted at every 1m vertical intervals
(Not more than 1.5 m)
0.15 m Number of blows = N1
Drill rod 0.15 m
0.15 m Number of blows = N2
Number of blows = N3

Standard penetration resistance (SPT N) = N2 + N3

[Link] [Link]

The refusal of test when

• 50 blows are required for any 150 mm increment.

• 100 blows are obtained for required 300 mm penetration.

• 10 successive blows produce no advance.

 Standard Penetration Test (SPT):IS: 2131-1981
Two corrections due to:
(a) Overburden pressure (granular soil)
(b) Dilatancy (for saturated fine sands and silts)
The corrected N value is given by
N′ = CN N
where N′ = corrected value of observed N
CN = correction factor for overburden pressure
N′′= 15+0.5(N′-15) if N′ > 15 Ranjan and Rao, 2000

SPT Corrections
The standard blow count N′70 can be computed as (ASTM D 1586) (American Society for Testing
and Materials)

′ = C N × N ×η1 ×η 2 ×η3 ×η 4
N 70
where, ηi = correction factors
N′70 = corrected N using the subscript for the Erb and the ′ to indicate it has been
corrected
Erb = standard energy ratio value
CN = correction for effective overburden pressure p′0 (kPa) computed as [Liao
and Whitman, 1986]
1
 95.76  2
C N =  
p
 0  ′
 • Hammer Efficiency Correction

• Drill rod, sampler and borehole corrections

• Correction due to overburden pressure

Hammer Efficiency Correction

SPT is standardized to some energy ratio (Er)

Actual hammer energy to sampler , Ea

Er = × 100
Input energy, Ein

1
1 1W 2
Now Ein = mv 2 = v and v = (2 gh) 2
2 2 g

1W
Thus Ein = ( 2 gh) = Wh
2 g W = weight of hammer
h = height of fall
Correction factor 1 for hammer efficiency

Er
η1 =
Erb

Different types of hammers are in use for driving the drill

rods. Two types are normally used. They are (Bowles, 1996)
1. Donut hammer with Er = 45 to 67
2. Safety hammer with Er as fellows:
• Rope-pulley or cathead = 70 to 80
• Trip or automatic hammer = 80 to 100.
Now if Er = 80 and standard energy ratio value (Erb) = 70,
then η1 = 80/70 = 1.14

Bowles, J.E, 1996

Correction factor 2 for rod length
Length >10 m η2 = 1.00
6 – 10 m = 0.95
4–6m = 0.85
0–4m = 0.75
Note: N is too high for Length < 10 m

Correction factor 3 for sampler

Without liner η3 = 1.00
With liner: Dense sand , clay = 0.80
Loose sand = 0.90

Bowles, J.E, 1996

Correction factor 4 for borehole diameter

Hole diameter: 60 – 120 mm η4 = 1.00

150 mm = 1.05
200 mm = 1.15

Note: η4 = 1.00 for all diameter hollow-stem augers where SPT is taken through the stem

Bowles, J.E, 1996

 • Example 1
Given: N = 21, rod length= 13 m, hole diameter = 100 mm, p′0 = 200 kPa, Er= 80; loose sand
without liner. What are the standard N′70 and N′60 values?
Solution
For Erb= 70: ′ = C N × N ×η1 ×η 2 ×η3 ×η 4
N 70
1
 95.76  2
CN =   = 0.69
 200 
η1= 80/70 = 1.14; η2 = 1.0; η3 = 1.0; η4 = 1.0
′ = 0.69 × 21×1.14 ×1.0 ×1.0 × 1.0 = 17
Thus, N 70

′ =   ×17 = 20
Now Er1 × N1 = Er 2 × N 2 ; Thus, N 60 70
 60 

not corrected SPT Correlations in Clays

for overburden

N 60 cu (kPa) consistency visual identification

0-2 0 – 12.5 very soft Thumb can penetrate > 25 mm
2-4 12.5-25 soft Thumb can penetrate 25 mm
4-8 25-50 medium Thumb penetrates with moderate
effort
8-15 50-100 stiff Thumb will indent 8 mm
15-30 100-200 very stiff Can indent with thumb nail; not
thumb
>30 >200 hard Cannot indent even with thumb nail

N Sivakugan
 SPT Correlations in Granular Soils

(N )60 Dr (%) consistency

not corrected for 0-4 0-15 very loose
overburden
4-10 15-35 loose

10-30 35-65 medium

30-50 65-85 dense

>50 85-100 very dense

N. Sivakugan
 Cone Penetration Test (CPT)

Dynamic cone penetration test (DCPT) Static cone penetration test (SCPT)

pushed into the ground @ 1 cm/s

similar to SPT; hammer driven

using cone instead of split spoon gives continuous measurements

closed end; no
samples

gives blow counts @ 1.5 m depth intervals

N. Sivakugan

40 mm
Static Cone Penetrometer test [Link]
40 mm
Sounding rod

40 mm
Mantle tube
40 mm

Friction jacket
assembly

Cone assembly

[Link]
 SCPT Correlations
In Clays,
qc − σ v
cu =
Nk
cu = Undrained shear strength of
σv = total vertical stress at the depth of penetration
qc = The cone tip resistance

Nk = cone factor (15-20)

Electric cone mechanical cone

N Sivakugan

In Sand,

φ= tan -1 [0.1 + 0.38 log (qc/σv′)] (Kulhawy and Mayne, 1990)

where
φ is the friction angle
qc is the cone resistance
σv′ (or p0′) is the vertical effective overburden pressure or stress
 Normally consolidated quartz sand (after Robertson and Campanella, 1983) Das, B. M. ,1999

fs Cone resistance or cone tip resistance (qc)

Friction ratio, Fr = Sleeve friction (fs)
qc

(after Robertson and Campanella, 1983) Das, B. M. ,1999

Piezocone

Pushed into the ground Porous stone for pore pressure

measurement

A modern static cone; measures pore water

pressure also.

N Sivakugan

Piezocone with leads

[Link]
 Pressuremeter Test
The pressure meter consists of an inflatable cylindrical probe
which is connected to a water reservoir.

Expand cylindrical probe inside a bore hole. Borehole

The probe presses against the wall of bore hole. So the soil
begins to deform cylindrical probe
guard cell
The volumetric deformation of the borehole is measured by
noting the fall in water level in the water reservoir

IS: 1892-1979 describes the use of pressure meter

[Link]

N Sivakugan

V0 is measured and the probe is inserted into the borehole.

The pressure is applied in increment and the volumetric expansion of the cell is measured

Zone I: Reloading Zone and p0 represents the in-situ total horizontal stress
Zone II: Pseudo-elastic Zone
Zone III: Plastic Zone and pl represents the limit pressure

Das, B. M. ,1999
 Das, B. M. ,1999

Pressuremeter modulus, E p = 2(1 + µ )(V0 + vm ) ∆p 

 ∆v 
where vm = (v0 + vf)/2; ∆p = pf – p0; ∆v = vf – vo, µ = Poisson’s ratio and V0 =
measuring cell volume = 535 cm3

Correlations
pl − p0
cu = (Baguelin et al. 1978)
Np

where cu is undrained shear strength of clay

E 
N p = 1 + ln p 
 2cu 
Typical values of Np vary between 5 to 12 (average = 8.5)

E p (kN / m 2 ) = 908 N 0.66 For Clay

Ohya et al. 1982, also
For Sand Kulhawy and Mayne, 1990
E p (kN / m 2 ) = 1930 N 0.63
where N is field standard penetration value

Das, B. M. ,1999
 Dilatometer Test
Advance @ 20 mm/s. Test every 200-300 mm.
Nitrogen tank for inflating the membrane.
Gives cu, K0, OCR, cv, k, soil stiffness .
Can identify soil (from a chart).
Similar to the
cone

60 mm diameter flexible steel

[Link]
membrane

0.47 Marchetti (1980)

K 
K0 =  D  − 0 .6 p0 − u 0
 1 .5  KD =
σ v'
OCR = (0.5 K D )1.6 E D (kN / m 2 ) = 34.7( pl − p0 )
cu
= 0.22 Normally consolidated clay p0 is the contact stress
σ v' pl is the expansion stress
u0 is the pore water pressure
 cu  c 
 '  =  u'  (0.5K D )1.25
σv  over consolidated caly  σ v  normally consolidated caly

E = (1 − µ 2 ) E D
σv′ (or p0′) is the vertical effective overburden pressure or stress
E is the elastic modulus
K0 is the coefficient of earth pressure at rest
Das, B. M. ,1999
µ= Poisson’s ratio