Cone penetration-induced pore pressure distribution and dissipation

The excess pore water pressure distribution (u) induced by the penetration of a piezocone into clay and its dissipation behaviour have been investigated by laboratory model tests, theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. Based on the results of the tests and the analysis, a semi-theoretical method has been proposed to predict the piezocone penetration-induced pore pressure distribution in the radial direction from the shoulder of the cone. The method can consider the effect of the undrained shear strength (su), over-consolidation ratio (OCR) and rigidity index (Ir) of the soil. With a reliably predicted initial distribution of u and the measured curve of dissipation of pore water pressure at the shoulder of the cone (u2), the coefficient of consolidation of the soil in the horizontal direction (ch) can be back-fitted by analysis of the pore pressure dissipation. Comparing the back-fitted values of ch with the values directly estimated by a previously proposed method indicates that the previously proposed method can be used reliably to estimate ch values from non-standard dissipation curves (where u2 increases initially and then dissipates with time).