ABSTRACT
The practice of piezocone testing for geotechnical investigations is advantageous for rapidly obtaining parameters, continuous assessment of a soil profile and ability to estimate various geotechnical parameters. However, its results require attention regarding its implementation and interpretation, especially when the aim is to perform a geotechnical characterization of an area or deposit. This paper addresses in situ tests (SPT, vane and piezocone tests) and laboratory tests of a stretch of road works located in Pernambuco, Brazil. Stratigraphic classification, compressibility and strength parameters were obtained through piezocone tests and compared to laboratory (oedometer and triaxial) and in situ (SPT, vane) tests as benchmarks. The final results were discussed within the context of results in the literature, including the results of the Recife (Coutinho 2007) and Suape (Coutinho and Bello 2012) soft clays, confirming the potential of the piezocone test to obtain good prediction of geotechnical parameters in these soft clay deposits with correlations suited to the local/regional experience.
