Variable energy dynamic penetration resistance of soils based on a dynamic load-displacement relationship

Abstract The evaluation of dynamic penetration resistance can be performed by applying different theoretical and empirical approaches, however, each method is based on the application of different concepts and assumptions. The objective of this paper is to present a methodology for the evaluation of the penetration resistance of dynamic driving equipment, based on the evaluation of the dynamic load-displacement relationship at the cone-soil interface. For the construction of the dynamic load-displacement relationship, an iterative methodology of decoupling and reconstruction of the dynamic deformation and acceleration signals at the cone-soil interface is applied, which allows evaluating the soil resistance response under the dynamic load generated by the cone driving into the soil. The results show that the dynamic penetration resistance evaluation methodology based on the load-displacement curve allows the determination of the penetration resistance based on a physical-mechanical soil response approach. The dynamic penetration resistance evaluated through the dynamic load-displacement relationship allows evaluating the sensitized soil response to density conditions and vertical effective stresses.