Determination of Strength Parameters of Soils Based on the Results of Plate Load Tests

To determine the strength characteristics of foundation soils, modern surveying practice includes a number of field and laboratory methods. The methods are evolving along with the technical capabilities of the surveyors and the theoretical basis associated with soil mechanics research. One of the methods that have prospects of development is the plate load test. The aim of this work is to develop a methodology that allows to determine the strength parameters of soil based on the result of the plate load test, taking into account the influence of the scale effect. In the course of the work, a methodology was developed, including recommendations for testing and for processing the test results to obtain strength parameters that can be used in different ranges of average stresses due to the correction introduced to account for the scale effect (nonlinearity of the strength graph). On the basis of the presented methodology, the application has been developed that allows to automatically carry out selection of strength parameters and their correction depending on the value of average stresses entered by the user. Selection results in the application, their description and comparison with laboratory test results are presented.