Journal Published Online: 01 May 2020
Volume 44, Issue 3

Laboratory Evaluation of the Measuring Capabilities of an Innovative Pressuremeter Probe in Dry Sand

CODEN: GTJODJ

Abstract

This article presents the experimental procedures performed in a laboratory to evaluate the measuring capabilities of an innovative monocellular pressuremeter probe. This probe takes advantage of recent technological developments in the domain of inflatable membranes currently applied in the so-called Francis Cour standard tricellular probes, which allow covering an expansion range up to large cavity strains. Those improvements were found to enable increasing the accuracy in the assessment of radial expansion through volume injection in the probe measuring cell at relatively small strain levels without the need of sophisticated punctual measuring arms. Assessing this domain via in situ tests makes up a major contribution to the design of geotechnical structures under cyclic loads, for which the current design practice is mainly developed through laboratory soil tests. To reach this final objective, the probe’s validation program was launched based on pressuremeter tests with unload-reload loops performed in a laboratory calibration chamber and in situ on reference testing sites. This paper focuses on the laboratory testing protocols performed in dry Fontainebleau sand specimens. Shear moduli obtained with the pressuremeter are compared with the expected elementary values for this sand, and it is shown that it was possible to assess sand stiffness at a small strain level using this probe under controlled conditions in a laboratory.

Author Information

Lopes dos Santos, Alexandre
Fugro France, Nanterre, France Navier Laboratory (Geotechnical Team), Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Champs sur Marne, France
Dupla, Jean-Claude
Navier Laboratory (Geotechnical Team), Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Champs sur Marne, France
Canou, Jean
Navier Laboratory (Geotechnical Team), Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Champs sur Marne, France
Cour, Francis
Calyf, Maisons-Laffitte, France
Puech, Alain
Fugro France, Nanterre, France
Droniuc, Niculai
Fugro France, Nanterre, France
Pages: 21
Price: $25.00
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Stock #: GTJ20190209
ISSN: 0149-6115
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ20190209