Cone penetration testing and site exploration in evaluating the liquefaction resistance of sands and silty sands

Refined relationships between cone penetration tip resistance and liquefaction resistance of sandy soils are presented to facilitate use of the cone penetration test (CPT) in liquefaction studies. The proposed relationships are based on a database of field case histories where CPTs were performed and adjacent borings were drilled and sampled to confirm soil type and fines content. The newlydeveloped database employs stringent selection criteria to minimize inconsistencies in CPT sounding selection and interpretation that are present in other level-ground liquefaction databases, as well as to aid in the addition of data by others. Applying these proposed stringent criteria results in a reduced, but more defensible, database. Additionally, the effect of fines content on liquefaction resistance is quantified by a fines content adjustment in a form that facilitates use in practice.