Modeling piezocone cone penetration (CPTU) parameters of clays as a multivariate normal distribution

Abstract

This study examines the possibility of modeling piezocone cone penetration (CPTU) cone tip resistance, excessive pore pressure behind the cone, undrained shear strength, and overconsolidation ratio of lightly overconsolidated clays as a multi-variate normal distribution. This is part of a continuing study to develop a multivariate distribution that could be used to simulate common soil parameters at a clay site. This study compiles a large database consisting of 535 data points in which the CPTU parameters, undrained shear strength, and overconsolidation ratio are simultaneously measured in close proximity. A multivariate normal distribution is then used to capture the correlations between soil parameters of interest and to derive useful equations for Bayesian inference. This constructed multivariate normal distribution and equations are further validated by another independent database consisting of 594 data points as well as by empirical equations proposed in literature. The most useful outcome of this study is to provide a systematic and analytical method for updating the distributions of the normalized undrained shear strength and the overconsolidation ratio in the presence of CPTU parameters.