ABSTRACT

A free-falling penetrometer (FFP) is sometimes used instead of the more popular cone penetration test (CPT) at inaccessible sites such as ocean beds, lakebeds, wetlands and rivers. This apparatus can be used to explore valuable information on soil properties which may be essential in the design of foundations for infrastructure such as bridges, offshore platforms, pipelines and dams. A FFP is usually released from a boat or it can be deployed from a helicopter. Frequently, onboard devices are able to measure the total depth and time of penetration and the deceleration characteristic of the penetrometer. Such data can be used to deduce fundamental strength parameters for the soil in situ provided a good correlation between these parameters and the penetrometer travel information is known.