Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

On Empirical Correlations for Normalised Shear Strengths from Fall Cone and Direct Simple Shear Tests in Soft Swedish Clays

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Geotechnical and Geological Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Empirical correlations provide valuable information in early design stages, and they help to validate or discard single values from site investigations. This paper presents a multivariate database from commercial projects consisting of evaluated shear strengths obtained from direct simple shear tests and fall cone tests (which are calibrated to the field vane test), including index tests. The multivariate database is used to investigate the performance of common transformation models and to test the recommended correction for fall cone tests. It is found that the measured normalised shear strength evaluated from direct simple shear tests and fall cone tests is correlated to the liquid limit and that the results conform to Swedish and Norwegian recommendations. However, the scatter is large, more for fall cone tests than for direct simple shear tests, which is thought to depend mainly on sample disturbance. It can however be concluded that the trend of normalised shear strengths increases with increasing plasticity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ang AHS, Tang WH (2007) Probability concepts in engineering: emphasis on applications to civil and environmental engineering, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjerrum L (1954) Geotechnical properties of Norwegian marine clays. Géotechnique 4:49–69. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1954.4.2.49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjerrum L (1972) Embankments on soft ground. Proceedings of the ASCE Conference on Performance of Earth and Earth-Supported Structures, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 2:1–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjerrum L (1973) Problems of soil mechanics and construction on soft clays. In Proceedings of the 8th international conference on soil mechanics and foundation engineering, Moscow. vol 3, pp 111–159

  • Cadling L, Odenstad S (1950) The vane borer - an apparatus for determining the shear strength of clay soils directly in the ground. In: Proceedings of the royal Swedish geotechnical institute. Royal Swedish Geotechnical Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, pp 1–88

  • Ching J, Phoon KK (2014) Correlations among some clay parameters—the multivariate distribution. Can Geotech J 51:686–704. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2013-0353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen S (2014) Tolkning av feltundersøkelser. In: Valg av design cuA - profil basert på felt- og laboratorieundersøkelser, Norway's water resources and energy directorate in cooperation with the Norwegian road and railway administrations report no. 77/2014, Trondheim

  • Cotecchia F, Chandler RJ (2000) A general framework for the mechanical behaviour of clays. Géotechnique 50:431–447. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2000.50.4.431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Ignazio M, Phoon KK, Tan SA, Länsivaara TT (2016) Correlations for undrained shear strength of Finnish soft clays. Can Geotech J 53:1628–1645https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2016-0037

  • D’Ignazio M, Phoon KK, Tan SA, Länsivaara T, Lacasse S (2017) Reply to the discussion by Mesri and Wang on “correlations for undrained shear strength of finnish soft clays. Can Geotech J 54:749–753.https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2017-0114

  • DeGroot D, Lunne T, Tjelta T (2010) Recommended best practice for geotechnical site characterisation of cohesive offshore sediments. In: Gourvenec S, White D (eds) Proceedings of the 2nd international symposium on Frontiers in offshore geotechnics. Taylor & Francis Group, Perth, pp 33–57

  • Graham J (1979) Embankment stability on anisotropic soft clays. Can Geotech J 16:295–308. https://doi.org/10.1139/t79-031

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansbo S (1957) A new approach to the determination of the shear strength of clay by the fall-cone test. In: Proceedings of the royal Swedish geotechnical institute, Royal Swedish Geotechnical Institute, Stockholm, pp 1–47

  • Hov S, Holmén M (2018) The liquid limit [In Swedish]. Swedish Geotechnical Society Note 1. Linköping

  • Jamiolkowski M, Ladd CC, Germain JT, Lancellotta R (1985) New developments in field and laboratory testing of soils. In: Proceedings of the 11th International conference on soil mechanics and foundation engineering. August Aimé Balkema, San Francisco, CA, pp 57–153

  • Jardine RJ, Hight DW (1987) The behaviour and analysis of embankments on soft clay. Bulletin of the public works research centre special publication. Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Pub, Athens, pp 159–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Kallstenius T (1963) Mechanical disturbances in clay samples taken with piston samplers. In: Proceedings of the Royal Swedish geotechnical institute. Royal Swedish Geotechnical Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, pp 1–75

  • Karlsrud K, Hernandez-Martinez FG (2013) Strength and deformation properties of Norwegian clays from laboratory tests on high-quality block samples. Can Geotech J 50(12):1273–1293. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2013-0298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karlsson R, Viberg L (1967) Ratio of c/p' in relation to liquid limit and plasticity index with special reference to Swedish clays. In: Proceedings of the conference on shear strength properties of natural soils and rocks. Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, pp 43–47

  • Lacasse S, Berre T, Lefevbre G (1985) Block sampling of sensitive clays. In: Proceedings of the 11th conference on soil mechanics and foundation engineering. AA Balkema, San Francisco, CA, pp 887–892

  • Ladd CC, Foott R (1974) New design procedure for stability of soft clays. J Geotech Eng Div 100:763–786. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(74)90494-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larsson R (1980) Undrained shear strength in stability calculation of embankments and foundations on soft clays. Can Geotech J 17:591–602. https://doi.org/10.1139/t80-066

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larsson R, Bergdahl U, Eriksson L (1987) Evaluation of shear strength in cohesive soils with special reference to Swedish practice and experience. Geotech Test J 10:105–112. https://doi.org/10.1520/gtj10942j

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larsson R, Sällfors G, Bengtsson PE, Alen C, Bergdahl U, Eriksson L (2007) Shear strength: evaluation in cohesion soil. Swedish geotechnical institute information, Linkoping

    Google Scholar 

  • Leroueil S, Tavenas F, Le Bihan JP (1983) Propriétés caractéristiques des argiles de l’est du Canada. Can Geotech J 20:681–705

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lundin SE (2000) Geotechnics in Sweden 1920–1945. Swedish geotechnical society report 1. Swedish Geotechnical Society, Linköping

  • Lunne T, Berre T, Strandvik S (1997) Sample disturbance effects in soft low plastic Norwegian clay. In Proceedings of the conference on recent developments in soil and pavement mechanics, Rio de Janeiro, June 1997, pp. 81–102.

  • Mayne PW (1988) Determining OCR in clays from laboratory strength. J Geotech Eng 114:76–92. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)0733-9410(1988)114:1(76)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayne PW, Mitchell JK (1988) Profiling of overconsolidation ratio in clays by field vane. Can Geotech J 25:526–544. https://doi.org/10.1139/t88-015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mesri G (1975) Discussion on “new design procedure for stability of soft clays.” J Geotech Eng Div ASCE 101:409–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mesri G (1989) A reevaluation of using laboratory shear tests. Can Geotech J 26:162–164. https://doi.org/10.1139/t89-017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mesri G, Wang C (2017) Discussion of “correlations for undrained shear strength of Finnish soft clays.” Can Geotech J 54:745–748. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2016-0686

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olsson J (1921) Method of studying clay strength properties applied at the states railways [In Swedish]. Geol Assoc Negotiat 43:1

    Google Scholar 

  • Sällfors G (1975) Preconsolidation pressure of soft, high-plastic clays. Ph.D. Thesis. Chalmers University of Technology

  • Sällfors G, Larsson R (2016) Determination of undrained shear strength with specialized methods in practical applications - compilation of case records. Swedish transport administration report 2017:037. Swedish Transport Administration, Gothenburg

  • Skempton, AW (1954) Discussion of the structure of inorganic soil. ASCE Proceedings 80, Separate No. 478, pp 19–22

  • Swedish Geotechnical Institute (1969) Reduction in shear strength with reference to liquid limit and sulphide content. In: Summary from technical meeting 11th December 1969. Stockholm

  • Tang WH (1980) Bayesian Frequency Analysis. J Hydraul Div 106(7):1203–1218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thakur V, Fauskerud OA, Gjelsvik V, Christensen S, Oset F, Nordal S et al (2016) A procedure for the assessment of the undrained shear strength profile of soft clays. Proceeding of the 17th nordic geotechnical meeting on challenges in nordic geotechnic. Icelandic Geotechnical Society, Reykavik, pp 533–545

    Google Scholar 

  • Thakur V, Gjelsvik V, Fauskerud OA, Christensen S, Oset F, Viklund M et al (2017) Recommended practice for the use of strength anisotropy factors in stability calculations. In: Thakur V, L’Heureux JS, Locat A (eds) Landslides in sensitive clays: from research to implementation. Springer, Cham, pp 249–258

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Trak B, Rochelle PL, Tavenas F, Leroueil S, Roy M (1980) A new approach to the stability analysis of embankments on sensitive clays. Can Geotech J 17:526–544. https://doi.org/10.1139/t80-061

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

The authors are thankful to Dr. Jean-Sébastien L'Heureux at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, and the reviewer, for revising the manuscript and giving constructive comments.

Funding

The writing of this manuscript was partly funded by Tyréns AB, GeoMind/LabMind and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. GeoMind, Hesselmans Torg 5, 131 54, Nacka, Sweden

    Sölve Hov

  2. Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034, Trondheim, Norway

    Sölve Hov

  3. Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

    Anders Prästings & Stefan Larsson

  4. Bjerking, Stockholm, Sweden

    Erik Persson

Authors
  1. Sölve Hov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Anders Prästings
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Erik Persson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Stefan Larsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Collection of data and first analyses was mainly performed within a Master’s thesis by Erik Persson. The thesis work was supervised by Sölve Hov and Stefan Larsson. Additional statistical analyses were performed by Anders Prästings. This manuscript was mainly written by Sölve Hov and Anders Prästings. Stefan Larsson reviewed the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sölve Hov.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hov, S., Prästings, A., Persson, E. et al. On Empirical Correlations for Normalised Shear Strengths from Fall Cone and Direct Simple Shear Tests in Soft Swedish Clays. Geotech Geol Eng 39, 4843–4854 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-021-01797-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-021-01797-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation