The Earthquake Engineering Online Archive

Determination of penetration resistance for coarse-grained soils using the Becker hammer drill

Harder, Leslie F.; Seed, H. Bolton

UCB/EERC-86/06, Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 1986-05, 143 pages (475/H253/1986)

An investigation is conducted on the use of a large dynamic penetrometer for determining the penetration resistance of gravelly soils. To reduce the potential for variability in test results, a set of procedures is recommended as a standard. Using the recommended procedures, a new correlation between Becker penetration test resistance and standard penetration test resistance is developed. This new correlation has much less scatter than previous correlations; and, by using data and experience developed in sands using the standard penetration test, it provides a meaningful method for evaluating the probable behavior of gravelly deposits.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/EERC/EERC-86-06.pdf (10 MB)