Reducing geotechnical uncertainty to help manage risk – how to make CPT and vane shear work (together) for you

This paper has explained that one valid reason for using in situ testing in geo-engineering is to improve site investigation data and in doing so to reduce geotechnical uncertainty and risk. This is real and can certainly be achieved; making everybody happy. The impact on reducing uncertainty can be outstanding.

But the paper has also deliberately set out to demonstrate, using just two common test techniques, CPT and Vane Shear, that maybe “in situ ain’t in situ”. It’s not quite that simple – as in situ test data can be wrong. In fact there is potential for poorly implemented in situ testing to be more misleading and risky than other methods simply because people trust it to be correct and may rely on that trust inappropriately.