ABSTRACT
The plate-penetrometer is a newly developed device for site investigation in offshore geotech-nical engineering, particularly suitable for soft deposits. Bearing capacity and penetration analyses have been conducted to investigate the bearing capacity factor (Nc) for this new device, H-adaptive finite element analysis and upper bound mechanisms have been used for bearing capacity analyses, and the h-adaptive RITSS (Remeshing and Interpolation Technique with Small Strain model) FE method has been used for penetration analysis from the soil surface. The FE results are compared with the upper bound solutions and centrifuge model test results. Good agreement has been obtained, with values of Nc in the range 10 to 11 suggested for plates penetrating from the surface in normally consolidated (NC) soil.
