A number of field testing techniques, such as standard penetration test (SPT), cone penetration test (CPT), and Swedish weight sounding (SWS), are popularly used for in-situ characterisation. The screw driving sounding (SDS) method, which has been recently developed in Japan, is an improved version of the SWS technique and measures more parameters, including the required torque, load, speed of penetration and rod friction; these provide more robust way of characterising soil stratigraphy. It is a cost-efficient technique which uses a machine-driven and portable device, making it ideal for testing in small-scale and confined areas. Moreover, with a testing depth of up to 10-15m, it is suitable for liquefaction assessment. Thus, the SDS method has great potential as an in-situ testing method for geotechnical site characterisation, especially for residential house construction. In this paper, the results of SDS tests performed at a variety of sites in New Zealand are presented. The soil database was employed to develop a soil classification chart based on SDS derived parameters. Moreover, using the data obtained following the 2010-2011 Christchurch Earthquake Sequence, a methodology was established for liquefaction potential evaluation using SDS data.
This paper was originally presented at the Geotechnical and Geophysical Site Characterisation 5 conference and is reproduced here with permission of the Australian Geomechanics Society. For additional papers from this conference see http://australiangeomechanics.org/public-resources/downloads/#dlISC5 Proceedings