Cone penetration index for soil behaviour type prediction

Several approaches have been proposed to classify soil types using both cone and piezocone penetration tests. The chart relating the normalized cone resistance (Q(tn)) and the friction ratio (F(r)) has proven to be the most reliable method. However, its practical use requires function fitting, where the chart is described by means of a soil behaviour type index. The currently available indexes for this chart, based on concentric circles and hyperbolas, lead to significant errors. Thus, to properly represent the Q(tn)–F(r) chart, this study proposes new soil behaviour type indexes based on an analytical approach from a concentric logarithmic spiral approximation and a numerical approach from an exponential function approximation. The new indexes provide an improvement in the reproduction of the soil type zones while preserving the robustness of the original method. A discussion on the cone penetration test-based soil type classification is presented, along with a case example comparing the soil behaviour indexes in soil profiling.