1 Introduction

The pocket soil penetrometer represents direct simple tool used in the site for soil
investigation to evaluate unconfined compressive strength for clayey and clayey silt soils.
In general the test procedure of using pocket soil penetrometer initially depends on ASTM
standard No.WK27337 titled as “new test method for pocket penetrometer test”. The ASTM
official web site for this standard committed that “the title and scope are in draft form and are
under development within this ASTM committee”[1] There are many references that deal
with this tool in detail. The laboratory manual of test procedures, may 2016 , reveals that the
Pocket Penetrometer the method indicates consistency and approximate unconfined
compressive strength of in-place or undisturbed Shelby tube cohesive
soil samples[2]. The report on the strength measurements of archive K basin sludge using a
soil penetrometer, refers that industrial use of the pocket penetrometer tool is to check the
strength of the basin sludge. Under current plans, water jets will be used to help mobilize K
basin sludge for retrieval from the (Sludge Transport and Storage Containers) STSCs after
interim storage. It is important to determine whether water jets can mobilize and erode the
stored K basin sludge from the STSCs. Shear strength is known to be a key property to
determine whether water jets can mobilize sludge from the STSCs[3]. Accordingly, the
unconfined compressive strengths of archive K Basin sludge samples and sludge blends were
measured using a pocket penetrometer modified for hot cell use. Based on known
correlations, the unconfined compressive strength values measured by the pocket
penetrometer were converted to shear strengths. Using inventory logs, twenty-six sludge
samples were identified and selected as potential candidates for sludge strength measurement
[3]. In the test procedure for manual for description identification of soils presented by Texas
department of transportation, August 1999, this text depends the penetrometer reading for
describe the soil consistency as seen in the Plate- 1-[4]. For soil properties behind retaining
wall unless the backfill soil parameters are provided by the geotechnical consultant , it is
common to estimate them conservatively as follows[5]:

It is necessary to obtain values of ϕ, ɣ, and cohesion c for the original ground (where it will
be excavated vertically to make space for a wall). Direct shear or direct simple shear tests on
good-quality tube samples provide the best soil parameters, since a retaining wall is a plane
strain case. Most testing is triaxial (if any is done) and it is either unconsolidated or
consolidated undrained. Many test laboratories do not have test equipment. The base soil
plane strain parameters ϕ, ɣ, and cohesion c can be obtained (or estimated) so that sliding
stability and bearing capacity can be computed[4]. It is common practice, however, to obtain
Su = qu/2 for any cohesive soil, where qu is obtained from SPT data and using either
compressive machine testing or a pocket penetrometer (or in combination of them)[5].
Braja M. Das and Khaled Sobhan, 2014 indicate that a pocket penetrometer tool is pushed
directly into the soil. The unconfined compressive strength (qu) is measured by a calibrated
spring. This device can be used both in the laboratory and in the field[6].

Plate 1: Soil consistency according to the pocket penetrometer readings Test

2 Experimental work procedures

Clayey silt soil brought from one of the Baghdad city project (multi story building) at 4m
depth below ground surface near Tigris River (the inspector did not recognized the presence
of water at this depth). In this paper test program consists of physical tests to classify soil
according to unified classification system, pocket soil penetrometer test and unconfined
compressive test. Two triaxial specimens( sample type-1- with dimensions of about 38 X
79mm, sample type -2- with dimensions of about 33 X 79mm(diam. X height)) stainless steel
molds have been used to make sampling from the soil that prepared in lab with selected initial
moisture content. After preparing the unconfined sample according to (ASTM D 2166) [7]
the wet weight, diameter and height were measured. Then the penetrating test and unconfined
compressive test were carried out. The second wet weight (optional for selected tests) after
conducting the unconfined compression test sample failure was measured. The pocket soil
penetrometer test depends on the procedure that adopted in the user guide of the tool and also
depends on many foundation and soil manual test procedure references (Humboldt product
manual, Appendix A of Soil and Rock Logging, Classification and Presentation Manual,
etc).
The main concept of the test is based on using the tool in vertical position with respect to the
soil surface and after setting the initial zero reading of the tool ring, the tester penetrates the
penetrometer tip (Dia.6.35mm)slightly for 25.4mm (1 inch) into the soil and reads the ring
(the ring slides on the reading penetrometer bar during the tip penetration) as shown in Plate
(2) reading directly and recorded it as the unconfined compressive strength of the soil[8]. The
tests also comprise measuring sample moisture content before and after the test to check the
soil sample consistency since the test is done with different moisture contents. Also the room
temperature during the test time is recorded.

Plate 2: Soil Pocket penetrometer test after testing unconfined compression sample

Soil and Rock Logging, Classification, and Presentation Manual 2010, presents thei
nstruction of using pocket penetrometer and all tests carried out in this paper are done
according the steps listed in this manual [9]. The unconfined compression test was carried out
with compressive rate equals to (1 percentmm /min) from sample height with respect to
specification numbered ASTM D2166, Plate (3) represents failure mode of two typical
samples after penetrating and unconfined compression test complete[10]. In laboratory,
simple calibration was made using special frame to check the reading of the tool in loading
and unloading stages as shown inPlate(4).
 Plate 3: Unconfined compression test sampleafter failure

Plate 4: Special frame used to calibrate Pocket penetrometer tool