Fields of study
Civil Engineering
Applications of Dilatometer & Seismic Dilatometer in Geotechnical Engineering
The aim of the presentation is to describe the Flat Dilatometer equipment (DMT), its working principle and test procedure. The interpretation steps will be shown starting from the field readings up to the interpreted geotechnical parameters. Comparisons of the results will be shown with other investigation tools in well documented research test sites.
The Seismic Dilatometer (SDMT) will also be described. It is a seismic add-on module for measuring the shear wave velocity VS.
The presentation will illustrate the main applications for which this test is commonly performed, including:
• Settlement predictions (comparisons of DMT-predicted with measured settlements)
• Moduli before / after soil improvement
• Estimation of the liquefaction resistance CRR
• Slip surface detection
• Kh behind diaphragm walls from MDMT
• Moduli in roads subgrade
• P-y curves for laterally loaded piles
• FEM input parameters from DMT results (ex PLAXIS)
• Combining the low-strain shear modulus G0 with the working strain modulus MDMT to estimate the G-Gamma decay curves
The presentation will also include the description of the most recent developments, including the Medusa DMT and the Seafloor DMT system for offshore investigations.
