Dynamic Seabed Penetration

The seabed represents a major challenge to site investigation and engineering operations. Its remoteness beneath a hazardous medium results in disturbance to samples during sampling and retrieval. Sampling is also expensive and the consequently small number of samples may not be properly representative. A range of dynamic penetrometers is being tested at Newcastle as an alterative to sample recovery to improve data quality and reduce expense. The influence of test procedures and soil properties is an integral part of the interpretation of the results.