3rd International Symposium on Cone Penetration Testing, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - 2014

Role of CPTu in design of large Atlantic port terminal in Costa Rica

J.M. Eller & N.J. McCullough
CH2M HILL, Corvallis, Oregon, USA

L.A. Vargas-Herrera & M. Coto-Lora

MYV Soluciones Geotcnicas, S.A., San Jos, Costa Rica

ABSTRACT: As part of the exploration effort for the design of one of the largest ports to be built in the Central
American Caribbean region, cone penetration tests (CPTU) with pore pressure measurement soundings were
performed from a jack-up liftboat. This paper presents a summary of the CPTu exploration, including the
methodology and challenges encountered, results and comparison to field and laboratory measured data, and key
advantages of using CPTu as an exploration tool for the geotechnical design of the project. The CPTu was shown
to be very useful in characterizing the subsurface profile and identifying transition zones and interbedded layers
that were not identified during the soil borings in the same area. CPTu-based estimates of standard penetration
test (SPT) (N1)60 values and shear wave velocity measurements were compared to field tests, and shear strength
and stress history parameters were compared to laboratory measured results.

1 INTRODUCTION
A new terminal, the Mon Container Terminal, is planned for construction on the Caribbean Coast of Costa
Rica as part of a concessionary agreement between APMT and the government of Costa Rica. The site is located
along the Caribbean coastline of Costa Rica in the Bahia de Mon, approximately 7 kilometers (km) west of the
port city of Limn. The existing Puerto Mon, currently serving as the countrys primary export port on the
Caribbean, is located about 1 km southeast of the project site. The mouth of the Rio Mon is located immediately
southeast of the project site, shown in Figure 1.
The new terminal is to be constructed in three phases: Phases 2A, 2B, and 3. The initial phase (Phase 2A)
consists of about 1,500 meters (m) of breakwater construction, dredging and land reclamation, construction of 600
m of wharf structure, and reclamation of approximately 40 hectares (ha) of backlands for a container yard,
buildings and support facilities. Phase 2A will involve the installation of six super-post Panamax container gantry
cranes. Full build-out will include approximately 1,600 m of breakwater and 500 m of wharf structure, with about
79 ha of backlands. Construction is anticipated to begin in the first half of 2014, and the first year of operation is
scheduled for late 2016.
The geotechnical field exploration effort involved about 10 months of field work. A majority of the work was
conducted offshore, from a jack-up liftboat, in a challenging wave climate with waves that were often 1 to 3 m
high. Geotechnical work consisted of a marine sub-bottom profiling geophysical study, surficial grab samples, jet
probing, vibracore samples, 57 CPTu soundings, 51 borings, 14 pressuremeter tests, suspension shear wave
velocity measurements in 4 borings, and seismic dilatometer (sDMT) shear wave velocity measurements in 2
onshore borings. Supplementing the field work was a suite of laboratory tests that included index testing as well
as oedometer and consolidated-undrained triaxial testing on undisturbed samples.

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Figure 1. Site exploration plan and location map of APMT Moin Container Terminal, Limon, Costa Rica.

2 CPTu METHODOLOGY
2.1 Setup
CPTu equipment included a Pagani TG
63-100 track-mounted mini-CPTu rig
(Figure 2), capable of pushing up to 150
kN of downward force. The CPTu cone
was a 15 cm2 electronic piezocone from
A.P. Van den Berg. The CPTu rig was
anchored to the deck of the jack-up
platform. Given the challenging offshore
wave climate, a double casing was used
in the water column to prevent buckling
of the CPTu rods.
Generally, the data was collected
during two shifts every day. Data was
field monitored in real time on a laptop
computer. A schematic of the CPTu rig
set-up on the jack-up platform is shown
in Figure 3.

Figure 2. CPT operation showing (clockwise from top left): CPT rig
on platform, data acquisition and monitoring on laptop, and moon
hole on deck of jack-up platform for cone and rods.

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2.2 Preparation
Preparing the cone for each sounding involved two critical steps:
1) use of a vacuum pump to saturate the cone with water to
remove excess air and zero the cone, and 2) zero the CPTu
readings at the deck rather than at the mudline at the start and
end of each sounding. Zeroing the CPTu at the deck was critical
to replicate the cone readings at the beginning and end of the
sounding. When zeroed at the mudline, the readings at the
beginning would differ from the end of the sounding due to the
variability of the datum of the sounding.

2.3 Sharing Information

Due to an aggressive design schedule, it was critical to quickly
relay data from each completed CPTu to the design team in the
United States. To do this, a cellular-based wireless internet
connection was used to upload data to a cloud sharing internet
site (e.g., Dropbox); the design team downloaded the data,
performed data reduction, and conducted quality review of each
sounding using the software CPeT-IT (Geologismiki. 2012).
After review of the data, it was incorporated into the soil layer
models and used to develop engineering properties for design.
This approach made a complete report with CPTu interpretation
of up to 2 to 3 CPTu soundings available at the end of each day.

Figure 3. Schematic of the jack-up platform

and CPTu penetrometer testing equipment

2.4 Challenges Faced

There were routine minor challenges, largely due to the offshore environment. However, one major challenge was
the underscour of one of the jack-up platform legs, the result of strong ocean currents during a heavy storm.
During the night shift, scour under a leg resulted in horizontal displacement of the platform, resulting in the string
of CPTu rods lifting the rig about 1.5 m above the platform level. This resulted in shearing the rods at the mudline
and severing the wires within the rods, causing a loss of communication with the piezocone. At the time of the
event, the depth of the piezocone was 32 m below mudline. The recovery effort to retrieve rods and cone took 3
days and required the assistance of divers. The cone sustained significant damage to the sleeve friction load cell
and had to be replaced.

Given that the stability of the platform can be adversely affected by sandy soils prone to scour, strong sea
currents, and high waves, a key lesson learned is to carefully monitor these conditions and develop criteria to be
used for operation of the CPTu. Another lesson learned was to have replacement equipment (e.g., rods and cones)
readily available and a means to retrieve and replace (e.g., divers readily available), particularly when working in
challenging offshore environments.

3 CPTu RESULTS
3.1 Stratigraphy
This paper focuses on the area shown in Figure 1. Data presented in this paper include cone measurements
from 10 CPTu soundings (07-12, 14-12, 15-12, 34-12, 35-12, 39-12, 42-13, 45-13, 46-13, and 47-13) and 10
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borings (04-12, 16-12, 26-12, 30-12, 31-12, 32-13, 43-13, 47-13, 48-13, 49-13, and 51-13) and associated
laboratory test results performed on disturbed and undisturbed samples collected from the borings. Shear wave
velocities were measured in two borings using downhole suspension logging (DSL). A typical cross section of
the subsurface strata is shown in Figure 4 and Table 1. The cross section includes CPTu results, including cone tip
resistance, sleeve friction, porewater pressure measurements, and friction ratio from the 10 CPTu soundings and

cone tip resistance, qc (MPa)

5

10

15

20

porewater pressure, u2
(kPa)

sleeve friction, fs (kPa)

25 0

100

200

300 -500

500

1000

SPT N-Values

Friction Ratio, FR (%)

1500 0

10 0

20

40

60

80

100

Elevation (m)

Figure 4. Subsurface profile with data from 10 CPTu sounding and SPT data (raw field N-values) from 10
borings. The porewater pressure includes the hydrostatic water pressure based on seawater unit weight.
SPT N-values from the 10 borings.

Table 1. Summary of Typical Soil Properties

Soil Layer (USCS)

Elevation
(m)

Raw
SPT

Field

N-Value

Water
Content,
(%)

Liquid
Limit, LL

Plasticity
Index, PI

Percent Fines,
P200 (%)

(average)
Poorly-graded Sand (SP) to
Silty Sand (SM)

-10 to -15

15

10 to 30

Interbedded Silt (ML), Lean

Clay (CL), and Fat Clay (CH)

-15 to -20

10

30 to 40

30 to 60

10 to 30

70 to 90

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Fat Clay (CH)

-20 to -38

40 to 50

35 to 90

20 to 60

80 to 100

Sand (SP) and Silty Sand

(SM) to Gravel (GP) and Silty
Gravel (GM)

-38 to -42

40

10 to 50

Mudstone

-42 to
-100

40 for upper
2 m, then
refusal

30 to 50

60 to 80

30 to 50

80 to 100

<

The upper 5 m consisted primarily of poorly graded sand (SP) to silty sand (SM). Below this layer, the profile
transitioned to an interbedded zone of silt and clay with thin sand seams throughout, apparent with the erratic
CPTu data. The interbedded layer typically classified as sandy silt to silt to sandy clay to lean clay to fat clay. The
sand seams were often not captured with the 1.5 m interval SPT samples. Beneath the interbedded layer the
profile transitioned to a generally 18m thick soft fat clay (CH) layer. The CPTu soundings demonstrated the
uniformity of this layer and helped identify target areas for gathering undisturbed samples from borings.
Dissipation tests were performed within the clay layer to estimate in situ hydraulic conductivity parameters
(Section 3.4). Typically an alluvial layer of sand and gravel was encountered below the clay layer, varying in
thickness from 1 to 4 m. In many cases the soundings refused in this zone. Beneath the sand and gravel layer was
a young mudstone composed of clay, silt, and trace sand. The upper 2 to 3 m of this mudstone was unconsolidated
and classified as soft rock and was where the CPTu soundings that were able to penetrate the sand and gravel
refused. No CPTu data was collected within the hard mudstone.

3.1 Comparison to SPT N-value

Comparisons were made between the SPT N-values measured and those estimated from a CPTu-based correlation
developed by Jefferies & Davies (1993; Eqn 1). This relationship estimates the energy corrected N-value, N60,
based upon soil behavior type index, Ic, and cone tip resistance dimensionalized by atmospheric pressures, and is
considered applicable to all soil types.
8.5 1

(1)

An overburden correction was applied to get an estimated (N1)60 value. The CPT estimates are compared with
the SPT data in Figure 5. Note that in the sandy and interbedded layers the CPT (N1)60 correlated values are
typically underestimated.

3.2 Evaluation of Shear Wave Velocity

Downhole suspension logging (DSL) was performed in Borings B23-12 and B26-12, providing a shear wave
velocity profile that extended into the hard mudstone layer. The DSL shear wave velocity profile was compared to
several CPTu shear wave velocity correlations in Figure 5: Hegazy & Mayne (1995; Eqn 2), Mayne (2006; Eqn
3), and Robertson (2012; Eqn 4).
10.1 log

11.4

118.8 log
10

100

(2)

18.5
.

(3)

(4)

The methods by Hegazy & Mayne (1995) and Mayne (2006) were developed for all soil types, the only
difference being that the former is based on both tip and sleeve resistance, whereas the latter is based solely on
sleeve resistance. The Robertson (2012) method is applicable to uncemented Holocene and Pleistocene soils,
regardless of soil type, and considers soil behavior type index and overburden stress.
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Each relationship captured the changes in the shear wave velocity profile at the abrupt transition from the
overlying sandy soil to the fat clay layer and the increase in shear wave velocity when gravel, sand, or mudstone
was encountered below the fat clay. The relationships also capture the uniformity of the fat clay layer while
displaying the gradually increasing shear wave velocity with depth.
It is evident that the most recent relationship (Robertson, 2012; Eqn 4) matches the data very well and
provided less scatter than the other relationships. Although a good fit, the CPTu-correlated shear wave velocity
values are not a replacement for direct measurements, partly due to the inability of the CPTu to penetrate dense
formations (such as gravels and the mudstone).

Figure 5. Comparison of CPTu and field-measured SPT (N1)60 values and DSL shear wave velocity profiles.

3.3 Evaluation of Stress History

Laboratory consolidation tests on undisturbed samples collected from borings indicated that the overconsolidation
ratio (OCR) was consistently between 1.0 and 1.6 for the clays within the interbedded layer and the fat clay zone.
A total of eight consolidation tests were performed on these layers across the site. Reliable CPTu correlations can
be very advantageous in supplementing consolidation test data. Two relationships were used: Mayne (1995; Eqn
5), which is based on the normalized cone tip resistance and Mayne & Brown (2003; Eqn 6), which considers the
effective overburden stress and the small strain shear modulus, G0, estimated using Equation 2.
.

(5)
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(6)

Figure 6 compares the two relationships with laboratory consolidation test results. It is observed that the average
of both methods seems to agree with the data, but the more recent Mayne & Brown (2003; Eqn 6) relationship
provides less scatter with a clearer trend of OCR with depth.

3.4 Time Rate of Consolidation

Figure 6. Comparison of CPTu-based estimates and laboratorymeasured OCR values.

Figure 7. Comparison of CPTu-based

estimates and laboratory measured
coefficient of consolidation values.

Dissipation tests were performed in the majority of the CPTu

soundings and were used to estimate the hydraulic conductivity and
coefficient of consolidation of the clayey layers (Figure 7). The Houlsby & Teh (1988) relationship was used to
estimate the horizontal hydraulic conductivity, kh, and using a kh/kv ratio of 3 was used to estimate the vertical
hydraulic conductivity, kv, and the coefficient of consolidation, cv. In-situ t50 values for the fat clay ranged from
250 to 1500 sec, with an average of approximately 900 sec.

3.5 Evaluation of Strength

Three relationships were used to estimate effective shear strength from CPTu data: Senneset et al. (1989; Eqn 7),
Robertson and Campanella (1983; Eqn 8), and Kulhawy and Mayne (1990; Eqn 9). To the authors knowledge,
only the Senneset et al. relationship is known to estimate the effective shear strength for mixed soil types, such as
the interbedded sand, silt, and clay zone and the fat clay zone by uniquely utilizing the change in pore pressure
parameter (Bq) in the strength estimates. The Robertson & Campanella and Kulhawy & Mayne relationships were
developed predominantly for uncemented clean sands. Figure 8 compares CPTu-based correlation results with
those measured from unconsolidated drained triaxial laboratory tests with pore pressure measurements.
29.5

0.373
17.6

0.256

0.336

(7)

0.29

(8)

11

(9)

Although Senneset et al. was developed for mixed soils, the overall friction angle estimates are very scattered,
making it difficult to identify a trend within the profile. Both Robertson & Campanella and Kulhawy & Mayne
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show somewhat similar trends in the effective friction angle profile, identifying where the softer soil zones are
and when denser layer transitions occur. This is an interesting observation, as these relationships were specifically
developed for clean uncemented sands and are based solely on cone tip resistance. Robertson & Campanella
appear to estimate a lower boundary of the laboratory data, whereas Kulhawy & Mayne provide closer to a mean
estimate.
Undrained (total) shear strengths (su) for
the interbedded silt and clay and the fat
clay layers were estimated using Mayne
(2006; Eqn 10) with a site-specific Nkt
value of 10.5 based on a best fit
evaluation of the laboratory data with the
interpreted CPTu-based undrained shear
strength. The comparisons of CPTu-based
estimated and laboratory measurements,
as both the undrained shear strength and
shear strength ratio are shown in Figure 9.
(10)

4 CPTu IN GEOTECHNICAL DESIGN

4.1 Advantages
The CPTu was an efficient tool for
understanding conditions across the site.
Key advantages include:
Figure8.ComparisonofCPTubasedestimateofeffectivefriction
a) Identification of sand seams too thin
angle andmeasuredlaboratoryresultsfromtriaxialtests.
to be recognized by the borings,
which reduce the drainage distance and decrease
consolidation time.
b) Allowing for accurate depth selection for undisturbed
sampling, important when sand lenses are present.
c) Good correlations with engineering parameters, as
shown herein, for consolidation properties, seepage
properties, shear wave velocity, and strength properties.
d) Continuous profiling provides designers with
confidence in the development of complex geological
profiles.
e) The electronic CPTu data can be shared easily and
quickly using cloud-based internet sites.
f) The CPTu is relatively quick when compared with
borings, taking about to of the time for a boring of
the same depth.

Figure 9. Comparison of CPTu-based estimate

of undrained shear strength and measured
laboratory results from triaxial tests.
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4.2 Challenges
As was observed in this case study, there are also some challenges with using the CPTu:
a) It is difficult to use CPTu-based methods to estimate pile-bearing capacity when the soil deposit is subject
to extreme stress changes after CPTu measurements, such as for this project where up to 14m of fill was
going to be placed after design.
b) Given the importance of empirical correlations and comparisons, it would be worthwhile to improve the
development of CPTu undisturbed tube samplers. There are some available (e.g. IGS, Australia), but strong
development should be promoted.
c) Given the importance of bedrock for many projects, CPTu should not be considered in isolation. Where
bedrock is expected, the CPTu must be complemented by the use of borings with rock coring. However, as
shown herein, the CPTu can be pushed though zones of soft rock, providing information regarding the
transition zone.

5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The CPTu was a valuable tool for the geotechnical characterization of a complex soil deposit required for the
design of a critical port project. The necessary equipment was versatile and allowed for a quick transmission of
data from the project site to the design office in the United State. This quick turnaround was key to rapid decision
making on sounding and undisturbed sampling locations.
The estimates of soil strength (effective and total), stress history (OCR), seepage parameters (kh, kv, and cv),
and shear wave velocity (Vs) from the CPTu data was considered very reliable. The results were compared to
laboratory tests and in-situ tests such as: consolidated undrained triaxial tests, oedometer tests, pressuremeter
tests, and shear wave velocity measurements.
There was overall good agreement between the CPTu and boring soil profiles, though the CPTu provided
some valuable additional information that was not apparent from the borings: the location of sand seams and
lenses, the location of the top of the soft mudstone, and accurate estimates of engineering properties prior to the
completion of laboratory testing. One of the greatest benefits is that the CPTu measurements filled in the gaps
of the borings, and allowed the project to minimize the laboratory testing (and the time required for laboratory
testing), while still providing quality data for design. Based on the positive results of the experience described in
this paper, the authors strongly recommend the use of CPTu soundings in the geotechnical exploration effort for
similar projects.

6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to acknowledge APMT for the work presented herein and the support of this paper.

7 REFERENCES
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