ABSTRACT
A simplified numerical modelling method, the Press-Replace Method (PRM), is applied to simulate the cone penetration process under conditions that range from fully undrained to fully drained. In this study, rigorous validations of the PRM technique for simulating the cone penetration test were performed. The results for a fully undrained and drained penetration are compared against published information using cone factor solutions. Coupled-consolidation analyses at different cone penetration rates were then carried out for a smooth cone, and the results processed to obtain the dimensionless backbone curves for comparison with published data. The consolidation analyses were further extended to a rough cone subjected to different penetration rates, for which there is little, if any, numerical simulation results reported in the literature. The results and computed backbone curves obtained using the smooth and rough soil-cone interfaces are presented and compared in this paper.
