Effect of surface texturing on CPT friction sleeve measurements

As the use of the cone penetration test (CPT) has increased for geotechnical site characterization, significant research has been performed to identify and control the factors that affect the tip (q(c)), sleeve (f(s)), and pore pressure (u) measurements. However, a number of factors that affect the friction sleeve have yet to be understood, appreciated, and accounted for in penetrometer designs. This paper highlights a number of these issues, with specific attention centered on the effect of surface texturing on the friction sleeve measurement. An understanding of the role of surface roughness on soil-geomaterial interfaces provides a framework for analyzing the effect on the friction sleeve measurement and could provide a basis to improve its design. A series of CPT soundings were performed in the southeast United States with conventional smooth and textured friction sleeves. Results indicate that friction measurements with a textured sleeve are 70% greater on average than the value obtained with a conventional smooth friction sleeve in sand and provide a basis for developing new design procedures where interface values are required.