Comparative Analysis of Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) and Standard Penetration Testing (SPT) in Assessing Liquefaction Potential in the Philippine Geotechnical Context

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-900-1_61How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Liquefaction potential; CPT; SPT; Seismic prone areas; Engineering properties; Soil characterization; Correlation methods; CPeT-IT; Liquefaction analysis software; Philippines

Abstract

The Philippines, located in a tectonically active region, is highly susceptible to seismic activity, making liquefaction a critical concern for infrastructure stability. Liquefaction, the process by which saturated, loose soils lose strength and stiffness during earthquake-induced shaking, poses significant risks to structures in such areas. This paper presents a detailed comparative analysis of Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) and Standard Penetration Testing (SPT) specifically for assessing liquefaction potential, based on field data gathered from four study areas in the Philippines across diverse soil types and environmental conditions. The study focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of each testing method in identifying liquefaction susceptibility, which is crucial for ensuring the safety and stability of infrastructure in seismic-prone areas. CPT provides continuous, high-resolution data that facilitates the assessment of subsurface soil behavior under cyclic loading conditions, with real-time pore pressure measurements enhancing the understanding of liquefaction potential. In contrast, SPT offers insights into soil strength and composition through blow count measurements and sample retrieval but requires supplementary laboratory testing to determine key properties such as grain size and consistency. While SPT is instrumental for evaluating liquefaction potential, its intermittent nature and reliance on post-field analysis limit its effectiveness compared to the continuous profiling offered by CPT. Correlations were utilized for SPT data in deriving the engineering properties, while the CPeT-IT software was used to derive CPT parameters. Furthermore, the liquefaction potential for both CPT and SPT was assessed using specialized liquefaction analysis software, providing a comprehensive evaluation of liquefaction risk. This comparison emphasizes the strengths and limitations of both methods in the context of liquefaction potential, highlighting their roles in foundation design and stability evaluations. By addressing these critical factors, the study aims to guide geotechnical engineers in selecting the most appropriate testing method for evaluating liquefaction potential, ultimately enhancing the accuracy and effectiveness of geotechnical assessments and contributing to improved engineering practices for local infrastructure projects in the Philippines.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Athena Bernice J. Lim
AU  - Jonalyn L. Cabañas
AU  - Marc Arthur Z. Go
AU  - Alexis Philip A. Acacio
AU  - Lestelle V. Torio-Kaimo
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/07
TI  - Comparative Analysis of Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) and Standard Penetration Testing (SPT) in Assessing Liquefaction Potential in the Philippine Geotechnical Context
BT  - Proceedings of the Rocscience International Conference 2025 (RIC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 611
EP  - 622
SN  - 2589-4943
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-900-1_61
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-900-1_61
ID  - Lim2025
ER  -