Test MKH05 - Centrifuge Modeling of Cone Penetration Testing in Layered Soil

A centrifuge model test was used to examine the effect of soil interlayering on the measured cone penetration resistance in a layered soil model. The centrifuge model included a layer of loose or dense sand with varying thickness between overlying and underlying layers of low plasticity clayey silt. The sand was loose with a relative density of 44% on one side of the model, and dense with a relative density of 88% on the other side. The clayey silt had a plasticity index (PI) of 6 and over-consolidation ratio (OCR) of about 1.5. Multiple cone penetration soundings were performed using cone penetrometers with diameters of 4, 6 and 10 mm. The results showed the measured tip resistance in layered soil as well as the sensing and development distances depend on cone diameter, sand layer thickness, and stiffness contrast between the subsequent soil layers. The results provide insights on the effect of thin layer presence on cone tip measurements and an archived dataset for evaluating design procedures and numerical analysis methods. The data has been subject to quality control before publishing. The process by which it was assessed and the issues found are described in the Data Report.