A method for estimating coefficient of lateral earth pressure based on cone penetration tests

Abstract

The coefficient of lateral earth pressure at rest (K0) is a key state soil variable for the design of foundations and underground structures, characterizes in-situ stress state and soil condition. In this study, a method for the in-situ estimation of K0 using the cone penetration test (CPT) is proposed considering vertical and inclined cone resistances (qc). For this purpose, a series of laboratory CPTs in a soil chamber were conducted to obtain and characterize vertical and inclined qc values at various inclination angles (θ) and relative densities (DR). It was observed that the values of qc increased as θ increased, which was more pronounced at higher DR. Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) finite element analyses were performed to quantify the values of inclined qc at various cone penetration and soil conditions. Based on results from laboratory CPTs and CEL analyses, a CPT-based K0 correlation model was established, which was given as a function of vertical and inclined qc values. The model parameter for the proposed method was evaluated and quantified. The validity of the proposed method was confirmed from the comparison with case examples.

Keywords

• Coefficient of lateral earth pressure at rest
• Cone penetration test
• Inclined penetration
• Cone resistance
• Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian analysis