Reliability of self-boring pressuremeter in sand

The cone penetration test (CPT) is viewed by a majority in the geotechnical engineering profession as a preferred in situ testing tool, while the self -boring pressuremeter test (SBPMT) is sometimes viewed to be of questionabl e reliability. A comparative statistical study of SBPMT data and CPT cone t ip resistance is undertaken in this research to examine whether the test da ta do actually support the perceived nation. Data from seven sand and silt sites in western Canada and one location in the United States have been exa mined. The sensitivity of the SBPMT to the variability in the state of pack ing is quantified and compared with the corresponding values for the cone t ip resistance. The results indicate that the sensitivity of cone tip resist ance and the SBPMT data to the variability in the in situ state of packing is comparable. Comparison of estimates of procedural uncertainties in the S BPMT and the CPT also lends to a similar conclusion. These observations do not support the notion of a general lack of reliability of the self-boring pressuremeter at sand-silt sites.