Field response of push-in earth pressure cells for instrumentation and site characterization of soils

Geotechnical Engineering Journal of the SEAGS & AGSSEA ISSN 0046-5828

Vol. 43 No.4 December 2012

Field response of push-in earth pressure cells for instrumentation and site characterization of soils

Alan J. Lutenegger

ABSTRACT: The use of Push-In Earth Pressure Cells in Geotechnical Engineering is described. Applications for both instrumentation and site characterization are discussed. Several examples of the field response of Push-In Earth Pressure Cells in soils are shown to illustrate their behaviour. These instruments can provide a reasonably simple, economical and reliable tool for a wide range of applications in geoconstruction and site characterization and should be considered by engineers more frequently. A discussion of the interrelationships between the Initial Lateral Stress Ratio and the Reconsolidation Lateral Stress Ratio suggests that in fine-grained soils these values should be related to the stress history of the soil through the overconsolidation ratio.

KEYWORDS: Field Response, Push-In Earth Pressure Cells, Instrumentation, SiteCharacterization of Soils

DOI: 10.14456/seagj.2012.3