DMT DIGEST

WINTER 19% PAGE 1

DZLAfOMETER COMES OF AGE

The Marchetti Dilatometer has quietly celebrated its
21st birthday. Prof. Silvano Marchetti fabricated the
first Dilatometer (DMT) blade in 1974 at the LAquila
University in Italy. His initial work, using a dual
membrane blade, focused on measuring the in situ
normal stress and stiffness of the soil adjacent to steel
H-piles. Modern DMT blades have discarded the 2nd
membrane (now have one empty face) but are otherwise
very similar. In the following year he published the first
of many papers describing his (then) new in situ soil test
and its potential use for estimating foundation settlements
(Proc. Co@ on In Situ Measurement of Soil Properties,
ASCE, 1975).

Marchetti, Schmertmann and other researchers have

since developed practical correlations for soil modulus,
OCR, C,, 0, K,, ch, soil type and p-y curves. In
addition, research institutions around the world have
published more than 200 technical papers investigating Dilatometer results. About 50 of these own
DMT equipment. Another 100 owners are government agencies and testing firms who routinely use
the DMT in real world site investigations. Now included in the texts and curriculum of many
Universities, the Dilatometer has matured and is widely accepted by the Engineering profession.

Designers often specify the DMT to better characterize site soils, confirm other tests and eliminate
guesswork. Many are using advanced computation methods which require more accurate soil property
estimates than available from SPT correlations. Some are seeking to avoid the higher cost of deep
foundations and need profiles of soil modulus to define spatial variability and estimate footing
settlements. Others simply wish to eliminate operator dependency or avoid the time and expense of lab
testing. The Dilatometers popularity results from its ability to fulfill these needs at costs approaching
the SPT in some locales.

The DMT Digest updates Dilatometer users on new and useful developments. Many readers
receiving this Digest are familiar with past issues and will recognize a format change. To shorten the
Digest and hopefully publish it on a more regular basis, we are now using a newsletter format. We also
hope to include some DMT news items and encourage readers to share their comments, current
projects, data comparisons, testing tips or other DMT related items. Please send input/questions to Paul
Bullock at GPE, Inc. (If your do not wish to receive future copies of the Digest, or have corrections
to your address label, please mail or fax a copy of the last page to tell us.) Paul J. Bullock

HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY DMT !

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 DMT DIGEST: WINTER 1996 PAGE 2

YORKTOWN PROJECT SETS pressure in saturated soils normally increases hydrostatically with
POSSIBLE DEPTH RECORD depth, about 0.1 bars/meter (0.03 bar&). We strongly
T.L.B. Associates, Inc. (Millersville, MD) recently directed a recommend that users perform C-readings routinely,
site investigation for the widening of the Coleman Memorial especially in sands. Additional details are in the DMT manuals.
Bridge across the York River in Virginia. The Virginia DOT
required a settlement analysis for the extra load on the 15 m 1ST CPT TRUCK NOW A DMT TRUCK
(50 ft) diameter piers. The test program included DMT, SPT, A piece of history lives
Menard Pressuremeter and laboratory tests. Working on 23 m on in Alexandria, VA.
(75 ft) of water, T.L.B. performed four DMT soundings, the In-Situ Soil Testing, L.C.
deepest to 73.2 m (240 ft). The DMT work was targeted at a has purchased the first
40+ m (131 ft) thick layer of silt and clay beneath 12 m (39 ft) CPT rig in the U.S. and
of surface sand with a test interval of 300 mm (1 ft) and refurbished it as a DMT
included eight pressure dissipation tests to evaluate the time rate truck. The CPT
of settlement (see DMTDigest 12C.). The blade was pushed by equipment on board (from
static thrust (up to 4300 kgf) from a barge-mounted Failing 1500 Goudsche Machinefabriek
drill rig provided by Warren George, Inc. (Hoboken, NJ). The B.V.) was initially
sounding was advanced in 3 m (10 ft) increments, then drilled delivered to Dr. John
using casing and drill mud for stability. The DMT cable was Schmertmann at the
threaded inside a bottom string of AW rods and then taped to the University of Florida in
outside of an N rod string for quicker withdrawal and insertion. 1965. In 1971 the rig
T.L.B. Engineers, Roger Failmezger and Niche1 Crooks, were was mounted on the
careful to minimize the pressure lag caused by the long cable current flat bed Dodge
length (which included a special 50 m cable). We congratulate truck and it continued in service at UF with a mechanical cone
DMT owners T.L.B. and Warren George for completing the until 1993. Schmertmanns initial CPT and DMT research were
deepest known Dilatometer soundings to date. both performed using this equipment. In-Situ President Roger
Failmezger first learned about the truck during classes at the UF
C-READING TECHNIQUE and waxes sentimental about its recovery. Failmezger has
The C-reading has proven a good addition to the DMT test for moved it to the Washington, D.C. area and, with a new coat of
saturated sands (I, > 2), providing accurate estimates of the in forest green paint (see photo), is actively marketing the DMT
situ water pressure. Since analysis of the DMT data depends on there. This is the
the in situ effective stress, water pressure is an important and first dedicated
useful measurement. Borehole measurements of groundwater
and estimates based on adjacent water bodies are sometimes
misleading. In addition, runoff and subsurface water movement pleased that this
sometimes create non-hydrostatic conditions. C-readings provide historic vehicle is
a check of other water pressure measurements and also help with
soil classification. service and wish its
new owner every
Unfortunately several users have reported poor C-reading success.
results, mostly due to improper technique. A brief review is
provided here as a refresher. The operator should first obtain DMT PREDICTION AT TEXAS A&M
the usual A- and B-readings. When the signal sounds at the The Federal Highway Administration and Texas A&M
B-reading, the operator then quickly (and smoothly) vents University sponsored a spread footing prediction symposium in
enough pressure to stop the signal. He or she then continues to conjunction with the Settlement 94 ASCE Specialty Conference.
reduce the pressure until the signal returns again as the Five spread footings were placed on a micaceous silty sand
membrane collapses to the A-reading position. The C-reading deposit at the test site near College Station, TX. Participants
is taken at this point, within 15-30 seconds following the were asked to predict the load required for movements of 25mm
B-reading. In sands a missed or poor C-reading may be & 15Omm. Soil information included SPT, CPTU, DMT,
repeated by duplicating the A-B-C sequence again (also a useful Pressuremeter, Borehole Shear, Step Blade, Lab and Shear
check for beginners). The C-reading is sensitive to operator Wave Tests. Most of the 3 1 participants used modified analysis
technique. A slow and steady pressure release is necessary for methods or a combination, which confused the choice of a best
an accurate reading, so practice is important. C-readings > 3 method. Many (29%) successfully used the CPT soundings
bars in sand are unusual ( ~30 m water depth). The water (primarily the Schmertmann method) which were located within

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 DMT DIGEST: WINTER 1996
the footings. Elastic settlement analyses of the three DMT
soundings using the 1-D tangent modulus (M) yielded good
results for the 25mm movements of the three larger footings
(2.5-3.0m square). Average results were within +lO% of the
measured loads, 3600-5200 kN. The two smaller footings (1 .O
& 1Sm) gave larger errors, 43-92 % , This might be expected
since the site was variable and none of the DMTs were located
directly beneath footings. This data again verifies the DMTs
usefulness for settlement calculations at design load.
P-Y CURVES IN CLAY
Four papers have now suggested that the DMT can be used to
predict P-Y curves for laterally loaded piles in Clay:
Gabr, M.A., Lunne, T. & Powell, J.J., P-y Analysis of Laterally Loaded Piles
in Clay Using DMT, JnLof Geot.Eng., ASCE, May 1994 (Disc. Sep.95)
Marchetti, S., Totani, G., Calabrese, M. & Monaco, P., P-y Curves from DMT
data for piles driven in clay,, Pro&. 4th International Conference on Piling
and Deep Foundations, Deep Foundations Institute, Apr. 1991
Robertson, P.K., Davies, M.P. & Campanella, R.G., Design of Laterally
Loaded Driven Piles Using the Flat Dilatometer., Geotechnical Testing
Journal, ASTM, Mar. 1989
Gabr, M.A. & Borden, R.H., Analysis of load deflection response of laterally
loaded piers using DMT, Proc. of the First International Synposium on
Penetration Testing, Balkema, 1988.
All use a finite difference approach with soil models based on
DMT results. The Robertson method uses E, with a cubic
parabola soil model. The Gabr method uses a hyperbolic tangent
soil model based only on P,. Marchetti also suggested a
hyperbolic tangent model, but included both P, and Et,. All
present good field test comparisons, but the Marchetti method
seems preferable since it uses more of the available test data.
DMT SAVES TIME/$
A paper at the 1993 ASCE Annual Florida Section Meeting
provides a good example of DMT applications in commercial
construction. Engineers Michael Woodward and Kirk McIntosh
of Law Engineering, Inc. presented a case study for the design
of a 4-story steel structure on shallow spread footings. At
47 mx66m (155 ftx215 ft) with a 9 m (3Ofi) column
spacing, the planned building was typical of the adjacent
medium-sized buildings in Jacksonville, FL. Initial SPT borings
found 4 m (12 ft) of loose silty sand between two dense sand
layers, 5 m (18 It) thick at the surface and 6 + m (20 + ft)
beneath. Based on a crude settlement analysis, Law initially
recommended preloading the site or installing stone columns.
Because of the extra $30,000-100,000 construction cost and the
delay to the project, the structural engineer approved Laws
alternative recommendation to refine the settlement analysis
through additional site investigation. Sampling would have been
difficult in this case and lab tests would have required extra
time. Law instead performed 5 Dilatometer soundings in the
building area, 12 m (40 ft) deep.
GPE. INC. 4509 N.W. 23ED AVENUE, SUITE 19, GAINESVILLE, FL 32606
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PAGE 3
The measured modulus values from the DMT were lower than
assumed in the loose sand, but much higher in the dense sand,
thus spreading the load and reducing the estimated settlement.
Using the DMT modulus profiles, Woodward and McIntosh
estimated a maximum settlement of 32 mm (1.25 in) and a
differential settlement less than 19 mm (0.75 in). Construction
proceeded with footing loads of 100-200 kPa (l-2 tsf). With
70% of the design load applied (the remaining 30% being live
load), Law measured actual settlements of 6-17 mm
(0.25-0.67 in), very close to the estimated values at this load.
Woodward and McIntosh illustrate the value of the
Dilatometer for routine foundation studies. The DMT
provided an immediate, cost effective solution. A redesign was
not required and the project was completed on time.
DMT DETECTS SLIDES
Prof. Marchetti is preparing an ASCE technical note along
with colleagues Totani and Calabrese which describes a case
study using the DMT to identify slip surfaces. The site is a well
studied slide zone on an OC clay slope in Umbria, Italy. The
process of sliding and reconsolidation usually creates a remolded
zone of NC clay within and adjacent to the slip surface. In an
OC soil mass the slip surface(s) are detectable by this NC
attribute. As previously well documented, the value of DMT
& -2 indicates 1 _
NC clays, while 1 \
values of
K, = 5-20 are
common in OC
clays.
here, theShoGi a
layer located 20 Zone,K,=2
within the q
profile of an OC 30
OC Clay
soil mass
Depth
highlights the 1
slip surface.
Slope inclinometers are often used to detect active slide zones,
but require an unknown observation period and cannot detect
quiescent slide zones. Inspection cuts and sampling/lab tests are
also used. DMT soundings may replace or augment these
methods to identify slip surfaces. Since the DMT is a
discontinuous test, the testing interval should be reduced to
better identify a slip zone. Tests as close as 10 cm (4 in) are
possible (but time consuming). Since the electric CPT generally
samples at 5 cm intervals, on a site-specific basis, users may
also calibrate the CPT against the DMT and to detect thinner
failure zones. This special DMT application highlights the
importance of inspecting DMT K,, profiles. The presence of NC
clay layers within an OC soil mass always deserves further
design consideration as to their nature and origin. (Buried OC
clay crusts are also detected.)
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DMT DIGEST: WINTER 1996 PAGE 4

DMT COMES FULL CIRCLE
Harking back to the initial DMT research, Prof. Marchetti has
developed a new DMT cell to revisit the measurement of soil
pressure against driven piles. The cells are installed flush with
the pile face to measure the total (horizontal) stress against the
pile. They are circular in shape (14 mm thick x 90 mm dia.)
with a regular DMT membrane (60 mm dia.). The operator
uses a standard control unit and cable to activate the cells, but
obtains only the A-reading at 0.05 mm (0.002) displacement.
(18 in x 187 ft), driven through clay and silt to bear on sand.
The cells performed well, providing smooth time-decay curves
of horizontal stress. Comparison with adjacent A-dissipation
curves from the DMT blade showed that pile stresses dissipated-
about 10 times slower, on the order of seven days. The initial
and final p,, readings from the pile and the DMT compared
favorably in the clay but differed in the silt. Marchetti published
his results in the XXIII ICSMFE, 1994, New Delhi, India and
is continuing research in this area.

Marchetti The University of Florida is performing research with the

performed DMT cells cast into prestressed concrete piles, 457 mm (18 in)
the initial square. The resulting total stress-time curves are combined with
field work pore pressure measurements to investigate effective stress
with his new changes and their correlation with pile capacity increase over
cells on a time. Four of five piles are now driven with excellent results.
full size Investigating Profs. Mcvay and Schmertmann plan to finish this
steel pipe research in 1996. The research by Marchetti and UF indicates
p i 1 e , that the DMT total pressure cell provides another useful
457 mm geotechnical measurement.
diameter x
57 m long DMT FOR SALE: Retiring Engineer John deMonte (St. Louis,
MO) has equipment for sale. Call 314/576-5065 (5764446 fax)

GPE, INC. 4509 N.W. 23RD AVENUE, SUITE 19, GAINESVILLE, FL 32606 PHONE (352) 378-2792 FAX (352) 372-9808

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