ABSTRACT
The static loading of a piezocone is one of the only in-situ tests leading to a measure of compression of soil under the cone, shear stress on the shaft and pore pressure between these two points. These three load-deformations curves give valuable information usually impossible to reach with another ground investigation technique. The incremental loading of the cone up to failure, called Cone Loading Test (CLT), provides the vertical loading/unloading soils curve. From this curve, an estimation of deformation modulus, which is a key parameter in structure design such as foundations, is possible. CLT’s deformation modulus will be compared to modulus obtained from traditional investigation methods (Menard pressuremeter tests). An experimental survey, including pressuremeter tests (PMT), Cone penetration test (CPT) and shallow foundation loadings tests, was undertaken to compare the results with CLT moduli measurements. A calculation procedure, based on CLT’s deformation modulus, is proposed to design shallow foundations settlement. The article presents prediction of long-term foundation settlements (i.e. effect of time) both with the conventionnel methods and the new CLT method.
