CPT Analyst Manual 4

CPT Analyst
Version 6.2
1
QUICK START WITH DEMONSTRATION FILES
Download
You need to place all three files (CPT Analyst.CAB, Setup.EXE, Setup.LST) in a
separate folder that you can find easily. These three files were sent to you a little
earlier using the WhaleMail web site. All three of these files will need to be
downloaded. Scroll lower in the email message to get all three of the files. Some
places need administrator privileges to install a program on a computer. You will
need to check with you network administrator if you have problems with
installation.
CPT Analyst.CAB is a compressed file with the CPT-Analyst.EXE and other
subroutines necessary to run the program. With all three of the files discussed
above in one folder, you are ready to being the installation
Installation
Click on the Start button followed by the Run. This will then bring up the Run dialog
box. Click the Browse button and go to the directory that contains the files that
were distributed for the programs. Click on the Setup program and then the click
on the Okay button. This will begin the installation. At this point, simply answer
the questions as to where you want to put the programs. It is recommended that
you use the default directories.
From the Windows Start menu, simply select the CPT-Analyst program and follow
the instructions on the screen.
Running CPT-Analyst
From Windows, click Start and then pick CPT-Analyst from the list of programs that
you have installed on your system. The menu is set so that it generally follows the
process of working on a project. The sequence to be used is as follows:
1. First, you will need to determine if you want to select layers manually or have
the computer make a first cut at identifying the layers.
Manual Layer Selection. From the Main Menu, Select Edit and then Edit
Minimum Thickness. Enter a 0 if you want to select the layers manually.
When the screen later presents the graphs on the screen, simply place the
cursor where you would like a layer and then left click. To delete a layer,
move the cursor on top of the layer and left click.
Auto Layer Selection. From the Main Menu, select Edit and then Edit
Minimum Thickness. If you enter anything greater than 0, the program
will do a first cut of the possible layers. If you want 1 foot to be the
thinnest layer, then enter about .8 feet and the program will select the
layers using that criteria. You can experiment with this feature to
determine your own preferences.
2. Next, you will need to give the program information on the files that contain
the measurement data collected in the field. The correct information for
reading the data must be entered in the Vendor and Project Data (VPD) file.
2
To begin with, simply use the Demo.VPD file that was provided with the
program. Detailed information on the variables and data in this file are
contained in Appendix A.
3. Once the VPD data file is selected, you will need to enter the name of the file
that contains the soil behavior zones and the data that is associated with the
behavior zones. This as a fairly large file and contains a lot of information.
To begin with, use the Material8.MBD file that is supplied. Once you
understand how the program works, this data can later be modified to meet
your specific needs.
4. You will next be asked for the sounding file that contains the field
measurements. The information telling the program where the information is
contained data file is in the VPD file. If the data is read in correctly, the
program will move on and graph the data and information your screen. Add
and delete layers as desired in this screen.
5. With the sounding divided into layers, the layers identified and their empirical
engineering parameters calculated, the data and information can be viewed,
printed or cancelled. Simply click on the desired event. If you Save & Exit,
the program will save the layer boundaries that you have and allow you to
come back later and look at the same work at another time.
The DEMO files with the .CPT extension are only for demonstration purposes. If you
dont need them, you can delete them using Windows Explorer. It is not
recommended that the sample control files (VPD, MBD) be deleted. You can later
modify these files to meet the needs of your specific project and not have to build
them from scratch.
3
LICENSE AGREEMENT
Preface
CPT-Analyst and this user's manual are intended to provide practicing geotechnical
engineers and engineering geologists with a relatively quick and easy-to-use means
of performing data reduction and evaluating liquefaction potential.
CPT-Analyst runs on a PC compatible computer with a Pentium processor using the
WINDOWS 98 or newer operating system. The essential information needed to
provide input and run the program is provided in this user's manual, with numerous
paragraph headings to permit reference to specific topic areas.
Any CPT-Analyst files may be copied only for legitimate archival or backup purposes
for the end user who licensed the program. The CD may not be otherwise
duplicated or redistributed in any form to any other party, under penalty of the U.S.
copyright laws.
Reference citations direct the user to additional information sources. Program
assumptions and input-data limitations are explained to help the user determine the
suitability of the programs to a particular situation.
Abstract
The CPT-Analyst Program is a WINDOWS compatible, interactive computer program.
CPT-Analyst runs on a PC compatible computer with a Pentium processor having at
least 64 mb of RAM using the WINDOWS 98 or newer operating system. The
program is furnished as executable machine code (.EXE file) on a CD-ROM. CPT-
Analyst accesses a CPT sounding file that can contain data for up to 2000 readings
and create up to 200 layers. The program creates a report to the printer or disk-
data files of tabulated output summaries and graphical plots of the output. A
sample file data file and associate files than contain the material classification
information are included for use with CPT-Analyst. These files can be modified and
used at templates for future projects. In recognition of the potential for differing
professional opinions and site specific data than can be developed for a project and
what parameters should be assigned to different materials, instructions are given so
that the user can generate his own material behavior-data file.
Background
This software was initially developed in 1986 but was not widely distributed.
However due to a increased interest and cone penetration test usage and the
powerful interactive nature of the Windows Operating System, the software was
adapted and update to the Windows environment. If you use the program, then it is
only fair that you pay for it. This will also help support future improvements. If you
have suggestions for improvements, then please send them to me. If you have a
request for changes to the software to meet your specific needs, then an agreed
price for making those changes can be worked out. However, if the changes are of
a general nature that the program author deems marketable to others, then the
changes may be incorporated in normal program updates.
4
End User Restrictions
Ned Larson Software Company has granted, and the End User has accepted, upon
the terms and conditions set forth herein, a personal nonexclusive license to use
the Cone Penetrometer Software developed and owned by Ned Larson Software
Company, hereinafter referred to as NLSC.
The End User understands that NLSC would be damaged by unauthorized copying,
duplication or distribution of the Cone Penetrometer Software and that those
practices are prohibited under this agreement except to make archival copies of the
Cone Penetrometer Software. The End User may not distribute, sublicense,
copyright, or otherwise transfer this license without written consent from NLSC.
One copy must be purchased for a given office/location and may be copied for use
on multiple computers within that office. However, entities with more than one
office/location must purchase copies of the Cone Penetrometer Software for each of
the other offices/locations where the user wants to utilize the program.
Limited Warranty
CPT-Analyst, is a Computer Program for the data reduction and liquefaction analysis
using the cone penetration test results, WINDOWS 98 and newer Compatible
Versions, User's Manual. Copyright 1986-2004 by:
Ned B. Larson
11223 Minstrel Tune Drive
Germantown, MD 20876
(301) 916-7951 (voice)
nblarson@comcast.net
IMPORTANT! The materials are provided to you, the user, on the express condition
that you agree to this software license agreement. By using the this program, you
agree to the software license agreement provisions. If you do not agree with those
provisions, return these materials to Ned Larson Software within three (3) days from
receipt, for a refund.
All rights reserved. The CPT-Analyst program, its related data files; and the CD on
which they are contained (collectively referred to as "Licensed Software") are
licensed to you, the end user, for your own use. You do not obtain title to the
Licensed Software or any copyrights or proprietary rights in the Licensed Software.
You may not sub-license, or disassemble the Licensed Software for any purpose.
Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner without the
express written permission of the author is prohibited. Although efforts have been
made to accurately present the material, the Licensed Software is provided "as-is."
No liability is assumed with respect to machine compatibility, program operation,
output accuracy, or information contained herein. In no event will NLSC be liable
for direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages including but not limited to
any loss of business, interruption of service, loss of anticipatory profits, inability to
use CPT-Analyst Software or the inability of CPT-Analyst Software to operate with or
in conjunction with other products, even if they have been advised of the possibility
of such damages. It is assumed that firms that purchase and use CPT-Analyst, and
its related data files are familiar with the methods and procedures available for
5
interpreting CPT results, knowledgeable in the procedures for estimating
earthquake liquefaction potential, and are qualified to correctly apply them in their
design practices. It is the responsibility of the firms using this CPT-Analyst User's
Manual and its related program, to verify their accuracy and suitability to a
particular design application. The program author shall not be liable for any
coincidental or consequential damages in connection with or arising out of
furnishing or use of the program or this user's manual. The user accepts and uses
this manual and its related program at his own risk, in reliance solely upon his own
inspection of the material and without reliance upon any representation or
description thereof.
If the user detects errors or problems, it would be appreciated if they would be
brought to the attention of the author, so that efforts can be made to correct future
editions of the program.
NLSCs entire liability hereunder for damages, regardless of the form of action, will
not exceed the charges paid by the End User to NLSC for this particular license.
Because of the wide variety of sites where the cone penetrometer data may come
from and the different uses of the data, the data files that are included only as
examples and must be verified by a Professional Engineer to determine their
suitability for a site and applicability for the analyses to be performed. NLSC makes
no recommendation on the validity or completeness of any of the classification
schemes discussed herein or the accuracy of the methods used to determine the
different parameters.
If the End User cannot live by this agreement, then return the software and you will
receive a full refund.
Support
Because of the limited market under which this software is sold, there is not
sufficient volume to have full time support so I still have to work at another job.
Much effort has been made to make the software as usable as possible with no
support by providing example data files, plotting routines to visually check input
parameters, and documentation. This is not a general-purpose computer program
where usage can begin with only limited or no reading of the documentation.
Instead this program is intended to solve a specific and specialized problem so the
documentation and data files must be fully understood before beginning project
work. Understanding the documentation and data files will minimized any problems
you may encounter running the software. No support is implied or promised.
However, you might be able to catch me in the evenings at 301-916-7951. If no
one answers, then leave a message and I will get back to you. The best way to
contact me is through email. I am out of town often so I may not respond
immediately. My email address is nblarson@comcast.net.
It is assumed that the End User is already experienced in the use and operation of
Windows and reasonably familiar with the computer hardware. Because of my
limited time, I cannot solve hardware-related problems.
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Miscellaneous
If any applicable statute or rule or law invalidates any part of this agreement, the
remainder of the agreement shall remain binding upon all parties. The laws of the
state of Maryland shall govern this agreement.
Trademarks
All product names mentioned in this manual are trademarks of their producers.
7
Table of Contents
CPT Analyst............................................................................................................................... 1
Version 6.1...................................................................................................................... 1
QUICK START WITH DEMONSTRATION FILES............................................................................. 2
INSTALLATION................................................................................................................. 2
LICENSE AGREEMENT................................................................................................................ 4
Preface............................................................................................................................ 4
Abstract.......................................................................................................................... 4
Background.................................................................................................................... 4
End User Restrictions...................................................................................................... 4
Limited Warranty............................................................................................................ 5
Support........................................................................................................................... 6
Miscellaneous................................................................................................................. 6
Trademarks..................................................................................................................... 6
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................... 9
Background.................................................................................................................... 9
Program Implementation................................................................................................ 9
Chapter 2: INSTALLATION & RUNNING THE PROGRAM...........................................................10
Installation with Windows............................................................................................. 10
Running the Program.................................................................................................... 10
Demonstration Files...................................................................................................... 11
Chapter 3: MAIN SCREEN....................................................................................................... 12
Initial Menu Screen....................................................................................................... 12
File 12
Open Vendor and Project Data (.VPD)................................................................12
Open Material Behavior Data (.MBD).................................................................13
Open Cone Data files.......................................................................................... 14
Graphics Printer and Report Printer Setup..........................................................15
Edit 16
Edit Minimum Thickness for Automatic Layer Selection.....................................16
Create/Edit VPD Data File...................................................................................17
View 19
View Colors......................................................................................................... 19
Chapter 4: LAYER SELECTION SCREEN................................................................................... 20
Layer Selection............................................................................................................. 20
Screen Information....................................................................................................... 21
Liquefaction Information.................................................................................... 21
Depth 21
Layer Number..................................................................................................... 21
Depth Below Layer............................................................................................. 21
Data Point Information at Bottom of the Screen.................................................22
Layer Information at the Bottom of the Screen..................................................22
Material Behavior Plot for a Layer................................................................................ 22
Parameters Edited Directly on Screen..........................................................................23
Pixels per Point................................................................................................... 23
8
Points Ignored.................................................................................................... 23
Max Scale for First Plot....................................................................................... 24
Max Scale for Second Plot..................................................................................24
Max Scale for Third Plot...................................................................................... 24
Max Scale for Fourth Plot.................................................................................... 24
Max Scale for Fifth Plot....................................................................................... 24
File 24
Print Layer Report.............................................................................................. 24
Print Layer Graph............................................................................................... 25
Print Layer Report and Graph............................................................................. 25
Save Layer Report File........................................................................................ 25
Save Layer Data File........................................................................................... 26
Print Data Point Report....................................................................................... 26
Print Data Point Graph........................................................................................ 26
Print Data Point Report and Graph.....................................................................26
Save Data Point Report File................................................................................ 26
Save Data Point Data File................................................................................... 26
Save & Exit......................................................................................................... 26
Edit 26
Magnitude.......................................................................................................... 27
Acceleration....................................................................................................... 27
Water Depth for Liquefaction Analysis...............................................................27
Water Depth during CPT for Normalization.........................................................28
Fit Plot on a Single Page..................................................................................... 28
Set feet per Page................................................................................................ 28
Select Parameters for Screen Layer Selection....................................................28
Select Report Parameters...................................................................................29
Select Data File Parameters................................................................................ 35
Select Parameters for Material Behavior Zone Plot............................................36
VIEW 36
View Layer Report.............................................................................................. 36
View Graph......................................................................................................... 37
View Layer Data File........................................................................................... 38
View Data Point Report....................................................................................... 38
View Data Point Graph....................................................................................... 39
View Data Point Data File................................................................................... 39
Clear Layers.................................................................................................................. 40
Cancel........................................................................................................................... 40
Appendix A: DATA FILE FORMAT AND CONTENT.....................................................................42
Data File Layout............................................................................................................ 42
Vendor Parameter Data................................................................................................ 42
Material Behavior Type Data......................................................................................... 45
LIQUEFY2...................................................................................................................... 49
REFERENCES................................................................................................................. 51
9
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Background
One of the biggest benefits of using the cone penetrometer as a logging tool is that
it can give a near continuous profile of soil conditions throughout the entire
sounding. The disadvantage is that it can produce huge amounts of data that must
be reduced and manipulated before it can be used and interpreted by an engineer.
To date, the methods used to interpret the data have been widely varied. Solutions
range from coarse visual interpretation to detailed processes using different
computer programs that produce huge amounts of printouts.
The method that is proposed using this computer code preserves the advantages of
the CPT and by making the data interpretation easy. This program allows the
engineer to quickly work with the CPT data and make decisions on how the profile is
to be broken up into layers that can be used for further analysis. If the data are for
a slope stability problem, then small weak layers are very important and the
engineer may want to break them out for examination. If the data are to be used
for a settlement analysis then the engineer may not want to break out layers that
are quite thin to keep the amount of data needed for settlement analyses to
reasonable amounts. This computer program allows the engineer quickly decide
while allowing the computer to perform the tedious calculations necessary to use
the CPT data as desired.
Program Implementation
The program, as now implemented, is very simple and very interactive. It is based
on a simple premise that one of my Professors used to say If a picture is worth a
thousand words, a graph is worth a million numbers. The program is optimized to
be very responsive for the interactive selection and editing of layers. This is done
by plotting the sounding results on the screen using colors and symbols to convey a
large amount of information to the user that can be quickly interpreted. This allows
the engineer to efficiently perform his or her work and then move onto other tasks.
Descriptions of the menu and what each option does are discussed later.
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CHAPTER 2: INSTALLATION & RUNNING THE PROGRAM
Installation with Windows

From the Windows Start menu, simply select the CPT-Analyst program and follow
the instructions.
It is recommend that you create other subdirectories to hold the data files created
for different projects. This way files can be easily managed and archived. Also the
control files needed to run this program can be created or modified for a specific job
and those files can then be stored with the raw data files from the different
soundings. This way if there is a question in the future, all data will be present for
examination.
Running the Program

From Windows, click Start and then pick off CPT-Analyst from the list of programs
that you have loaded on your system. The menu is set so that it generally follows
the process of working on a project. The sequence to be used is as follows:
1. First, you will need to give the program information on the files that contain
the raw measurement data collected in the field. The correct information for
reading the data must be entered in the Vendor Property Data (VPD) file to
read the data correctly. To begin with, simply use the VPD file that was
provided with the program. Information on the variables and data contained
in this file are contained in Appendix A of this manual.
2. Once the VPD data file is selected, you will need to enter the name of the file
that contains the soil behavior zones and the data that is associated with the
behavior zones. This as a fairly large file and contains a lot of information.
To begin with, use the one that is supplied. Once you understand how the
program works, this data can later be modified to meet your specific needs.
3. You will next be asked for the sounding file that contains the field
measurements. The information telling the program where is find the correct
information is contained in the VPD file. If the data is read in correctly, the
program will move on and graph the data and information your screen.
Manual Layer Selection. To select a layer, simply left click the mouse and
the program will calculate the average values and plot them on the
screen. To delete a layer selection, simply move the cursor over the top
of the layer and left click and the layer will de deleted.
Auto Layer Selection. From the Main Menu, select Edit and then Edit
Minimum thickness. If you enter anything greater than 0, the program
will do a first cut of the possible layers. If you enter 0, then no layer
selection will be performed
4. With the sounding divided into layers, the results of the layers identified and
their empirical engineering parameters can be viewed, printed or cancelled.
Simply click on the desired event. If you Save & Exit, the program will save
the layer boundaries that you have and allow you to come back later and
look at the same work.
11
When you exit the CONE program, it will save the names of the files that you are
using and then return control to Windows.
Demonstration Files
The files that have DEMO in the file name are only for demonstration purposes. If
you dont need them then you can delete them using the windows Explorer. It is
not recommended that the sample control files (VPD & MBD) be deleted. You can
generally modify these files to meet the needs of your specific project and not have
to build them from scratch.
12
CHAPTER 3: MAIN SCREEN
Initial Menu Screen

At startup, Figure 3.1 is what you will see. Below is a description of what each of
the menu options will accomplish.
Figure 3.1 Main Menu Screen
File
This menu has the following sub items:
Open Vendor and Project Data (.VPD)

This allows you to select a file that contains the information needed by the
program to read raw data files supplied by the different vendors and to enter
data and information that is specific to a project. See Appendix A for a more
detailed description of the information needed in this file. This data file must
use the .VPD extension in its name. The program will look for all files in the
directory that have the VPD extension and the file names will be displayed in the
box. Follow the instructions on the computer screen to select the file you want
to use. Select a file by pressing the regular Windows commands.
Because of the wide variety of data format types, information describing the
13
vendors data file is needed. This option will take a data file from a vendor, put
it on the screen and allow you to make sure the layout is correctly reflected by
the information in the vendor parameter data (VPD) file. If the parameters in the
VPD file need to be modified, this option will also allow you to make these
changes and then save them. If you are using a new vendor and dont have a
vendor parameter data file for the new vendor, simply use one of the existing
VPD files, modify it to match the new vendor data that you have. If you have
modified the data file, save it with the name of the new vendor (see the
Appendix A for more information on the information stored in the VPD file).
By modifying information in the VPD file, the program can read many types of
file formats ranging from comma, space, or tab delimited records to fixed field
formats where the numbers are stored in specific columns. Only one VPD file
needs to be created for a group of files that have the same data file layout.
Example VPD files are included for different vendors of CPT services. Some file
formats may change with time so you will need to check the included VPD files
against you actual data.
Open Material Behavior Data (.MBD)

This option allows you to identify the name of the file that contains the material
behavior zone information needed to classify the sounding data. The method
included in this demonstration data file is taken from work done by Peter
Robertson (1990) and is shown in Figure 3-2. Instructions for modifying one of
these classification schemes or creating your own are discussed in Appendix A
(see Appendix A for more information on the format of this data file). This data
file must use the .MBD extension in its file name. Once this data file is
identified, it will be used throughout a session unless changed through this
option.
The program will look for all files in the directory that have the MBD extension
and the file names will be displayed in the box on the computer screen. Follow
the instructions on the computer screen to select the file you want to use.
Select a file by pressing the <Enter> key while the file name is highlighted or
double click on the file you want to select. If you are selecting the file to be
used from the list, you may type the first letter of the file name and that file will
be highlighted. When there are multiple files with the same first letter then type
the first letter of the file name again until the one that you want is highlighted.
The lower portion of this data file contains the soil property data for each
material behavior type zone and is needed to calculate the indicators and
parameters for the selected layers. See Appendix A for more information on the
format of this data file
14
Figure 3-2, Material behavior classification zones proposed by Robertson (1990).
Open Cone Data files

As the data file is being read, the program will look for several indicators that
signal the end of the file being imported has been encountered. These-end-of
file indicators vary from vendor to vendor so making sure that every option is
included is difficult. However, the following are checked and if encountered,
importing will stop:
1. End of file is encountered (^Z or control Z)
2. If a value greater than or less than 20,000 is encountered in any of the
columns.
3. If one of the following characters are found in a data column: a, e, I, o, u, !,
@, #, $, %, ^, &, *, (, ), _, +, =, |, \, {, }, [, ], <, >, ?, and /.
Because of the wide range of conditions under which the cone penetrometer is
used, a value of 0 in the point stress, sleeve stress, or pore pressure is not
15
considered to be end-of-file indicator. A sounding file can contain no more than
3000 data points.
Any reading that had a depth of 0 or the same depth reading of the previous
point will simply be ignored and skipped over
Once the files have been read, the program will plot the data on the screen for
layer selection.
Graphics Printer and Report Printer Setup

In some instances, the graphics may need to be sent to a color printer and the
report may be sent to a black and white printer, this will allow you to select a
different printer for each.
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Edit
The Edit screen from the Main Menu is shown if Figure 3-3.
Figure 3-3 Edit Screen in the Main Menu
Edit Minimum Thickness for Automatic Layer Selection

The program provides a method where it will go through the data file and select
possible layers for analysis. If you are looking for small layers, then enter a
small value and the program will automatically select layers based on that
value. Typically this number would be a little smaller than the thinnest layer
that you desire. For instance, if the minimum layer thickness that you would
like, enter a 0.7 or 0.8. There may be a few layers slightly less than one foot but
it most would be near one foot or larger. If a sounding contains a lot of thin
layers, then the program has difficulty identifying the layers. If the layers are
fairly thick, then the program does a better job selecting the layers. An Engineer
or Geologist should check the layers identified by the program using the Layer
Selection screen. Therefore, even though the program will make the first cut at
identifying the layers, the user should go in and check the layers selected and
make adjustments as necessary.
If the ground water depth for liquefaction analysis is within the sounding, the
17
program will automatically insert a layer boundary at that depth, even if it is the
same material. This is done so when the settlement analysis for liquefaction is
calculated, the ground water depth for liquefaction is the break from dry sand
settlement to liquefaction settlement.
If you do not want the program to make a first cut at the layer selection, simply
add a 0 for this value.
Create/Edit VPD Data File

More data and information on the format of the VPD data file is contained in
Appendix A. Because of the importance of this file, a screen view of the data file
to make sure that you can edit the data and information for another file. An
example of this would be when you receive data from another vendor, you would
take an existing VPD data file, compare it to the VPD file that you currently have
and then make the necessary adjustments. After you make the changes, it
should be saved with a different name.
In using this option, the first question that the program will ask for is the name
of a typical data file from the new vendor or project. The program will read the
first 10 lines of the program and then place them in the box at the top of the
screen. At the bottom of the box is the number of the columns of data that the
program found. You will need to enter this data into the boxes below the data
window so the program can find the data that it needs to work. See Appendix A
for more information on which each of the data boxes represent.
The VPD file is a project specific file since it contains information like the title,
earth quake information, ground water information and such. It is small so it
doesnt take much space if it is duplicated into multiple directories. The
material behavior data file is large and is generally the same from project to
project.
Figure 3-4 shows what the screen looks like to edit/create the VPD data file. The
user should be very careful to ensure that the right information is entered in the
correct box. Most problems encountered in running the program are a result of
not getting the right information into the VPD file.
Using the label information from the data file

For the project title, the project number, the project identification, the CPT data
and time, the cone/rig number, and the sounding number, the user has an
option of which to use. Information can be used from the data file or it can be
entered directly at this point. To use the information from that data file, the user
will need to tell the CPT Analyst where to find that information in the data file.
This is done by first entering an & in the first position in the text box. This
signals to the program that location information for the data will follow. Next,
simply add the line number followed by the beginning column and the ending
column for the data and information. Once this is entered, simply click the See
Location Results button and the program will get the information from the file
18
based on the location data that you have entered. The information in the
shaded boxes will be used by the program in the printouts and labeling rather
than that location information with the white background.
Entering the label information and by passing the information in the data file
If you dont want to use information in the data file, simply type the information
that you would like to use in each of the text boxes. This information will over
ride any thing that is contained in the CPT data files. If you hit the See Location
Results button, it will take the information that you have entered and put it in
the shaded boxes. As discussed above, the information shown in the shaded
areas is what the program uses for printouts and labeling.
Figure 3.4 Main Menu Edit Screen for Create/Edit VPD Files.
All these parameters need to be carefuly filled out. Most problems in operating the
program occur from not filling out these parameters correctly.
After a VPD file is edited for another project, simply hit the Save & Exit key. You will
be prompted at that point if you want to save the information over the top of the
existing file or create a new file.
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View
The primary purpose of the View menu is to allow the user to plot the data and
information that is entered in the MBD file. Figure 3-5 shows the choices from the
Main Menu, View Screen. By plotting the information on the screen, the user can
quick check to see if the data has been entered correctly in the file.
Figure 3-5 Main Menu View Screen
View Colors
The colors that are used for the different material type polygons are identified
using the combination of numbers for the red, green and blue. Each number can
go up to 255. However, it is difficult to visualize the result from looking at the
different numbers. This will allow the user to enter the color numbers in the
computer and view the resulting color. Currently, this will not change the color
numbers in the data file. The user will have to generate the colors, write them
down, and then enter them in the MBD file using a text editor such as Notepad.
20
CHAPTER 4: LAYER SELECTION SCREEN
Layer Selection
This option will allow the viewing of the results of the sounding data file and then
allow the selection and editing of different layers. If you want the program to
automatically select the layers then see the Main Screen, Edit, Edit Minimum
Thickness that was discussed earlier.
Action Command
Add Layer Boundary Left Click
Delete Layer Boundary Move cursor over the top of boundary and
left click
View layer data on Material Move cursor to layer and right click
Behavior Zone plot
Label a range of layers with a Move the cursor to the bottom layer of the
geologic/soil description (i.e. range and shift-right click. A menu of the
loose fill, etc.). descriptions and the layer range will be
presented. This should be done after all the
layers have been selected. If you want a
different description, you will need to go to
the MBD file and add the description as
desired. See Appendix A for the MBD file
layout.
When a file is read, the program will present a screen similar to the one shown in
Figure 4-1.
You now have the ability to do numerous sensitivity analyses on the data. Anytime
one of the parameters such as the earthquake acceleration, earthquake magnitude
or depth to groundwater, the program will re-calculate the all the information and
reclassify the data if necessary and then re-plot the results on the screen.
The values in the text boxes at the top of the screen can be changed as desired.
When a change is made, the program will automatically modify the screen to reflect
the change. It is not necessary to hit the Enter key after the change is made.
However, if you the change that you are making involves modifying multiple digits
simply keep making the changes in the text box and the screen will change each
time a digit is changed. Just keep changing the values until you reach the final
value that you want.
21
Figure 4-1 Layer Selection Screen
Screen Information
The screen will have the following information presented on the screen at all itmes.
Liquefaction Information
This simply reports the earthquake and groundwater information that is used to
calculate the liquefaction parameters. This is useful if the user is performing
sensitivity analyses and these values are being changed.
Depth
Simply reports the depth of the cursor
Layer Number
When selecting layers, the program will report the layer number where the
cursor is located.
22
Depth Below Layer
This simply reports the depth that the cursor is below the previous layer
boundary. When information is desired on the layer thickness, by putting the
cursor on the lower layer boundary, the Depth Below Layer will report that layer
thickness. When the user is manually selecting layers, this is especially useful
to see that very thin layers are not selected.
Data Point Information at Bottom of the Screen

At the bottom of the page, the actual data point values are printed. These
values represent the actual data point that is closest to where the cursor is
located. The depth value for the point will often be different from the depth
value shown at the top of the page. The depth information shown at the top of
the page is an interpolation between the pixels and the location of the line while
the information at the bottom represents the nearest data point depth value.
Layer Information at the Bottom of the Screen

When a layer is selected, the average values for the layer are plotted and the
actual calculated values are printed at the bottom of the page. Because these
represent the average values for the layer, they will not change until the cursor
is moved to another layer. The left most number on the line under the data
point depth is the thickness of the layer.
Material Behavior Plot for a Layer

When a layer is selected by the computer or by the user, the user can check to see
the within layer variability of the data points. By right clicking, all the data points in
that layer are plotted on the friction ratio vs. point stress plot, which also shows the
material zone polygons. This allows the user to see where the data in the layer is
falling and the layer number is plotted for the average friction ratio and point
stress. Figure 4-2 shows what this might look like. It should be noted that the
percentages shown and the Normally Consolidated zone can be eliminated by
selecting Edit, Select Parameters for Material Behavior Plots from the Layer
Selection screen that is discussed a little later.
23
Figure 4-2 Layer data shown when the mouse is right clicked in the Layer Selection
Screen
Parameters Edited Directly on Screen

The following items can be changed directly from this screen by typing data and
information directly into the boxes.
Pixels per Point

This is the text box in the upper left portion of the screen. The program will
currently plot a pixel for every point. A value of one is typically adequate for
soundings where readings are taken every two inches or less. However, if the
plot looks squashed and too small, simply increase the number of pixels per data
point. Although it stretches out the graph in the depth direction, it does not
truly add to the accuracy when the graph it stretched out using a large number
of pixels per point.
Points Ignored
As a sounding transitions from one material behavior type to another,
sometimes the transition can look like it occurs over a depth but in reality, it
could be a function of the cone configuration. When the average values of the
24
layers are determined, they could include the information that is not truly
representative of the material behavior type. Therefore, this allows the user to
eliminate points that could be considered part of the layer transition. For thick
layers, this isnt significant. However, for thin layers, this could have a large
impact. If the layer is thin and the distance of the points ignored is more than
the layer thickness, the program will take the reading at the center of the layer.
Right clicking in a layer will plot the data that is used to determine the average
values. When the average values are plotted for the layer. The average lines
will extend only over the data that is used to determine the average values.
Max Scale for First Plot

Sets the scale of the first plot. When this value is set, it is also used when a
hard copy of the plot is produced.
Max Scale for Second Plot

Sets the scale of the second plot. When this value is set, it is also used when a
Max Scale for Third Plot

Sets the scale of the third plot. When this value is set, it is also used when a
Max Scale for Fourth Plot

Sets the scale of the fourth plot. When this value is set, it is also used when a
Max Scale for Fifth Plot

Sets the scale of the fifth plot. When this value is set, it is also used when a
When a file has been previously worked on and the layers selected, a data file will
be created which stores the layer information using the root file name, but adds the
.OTX extension to it. Each time a file name is entered to select the soil layers, the
program will first check to see if the sounding data file exists and whether a file also
exists with that same name but has an OTX extension. If it does, then it will load
the sounding data file and the OTX data file so, that previous layer selections and
edits can be maintained and/or modified. When a file with the OTX extension
exists, all the soil layers will appear on the screen as they existed when the layers
were selected the last time the file was worked on.
File
The program will produce data in two general formats. One is simply allowing the
25
user to present and print the raw data from the sounding. This is always referred to
as the Data Point Report, Graph, ets. The second allows the used to select a series
of layers for design purposed. This is referred to as the Layer report, Graph, etc.
Print Layer Report

When the parameters have been selected in the Edit, Select Layer Report
Parameters, you can select this option to send the layer material directly to the
printer.
Figure 4-3 View Layer Data from the Layer Selection Screen
If the user wants to look at the individual data points that are part of a layer,
simply highlight the layer and click on the Show Data button. This will then list
all the individual data points that were measured in that layer.
If the user would like to see all the layers plotted on one chart, simply click on
the Select All and all the data for the layers selected will be plotted.
Print Layer Graph

When the parameters have been selected in the Edit, Select Layer Parameters
for Layer Paper Plots, you can select this option to send the charts directly to the
printer.
26
Print Layer Report and Graph
This will simply send the layer report and layer graphs discuss above to the
printer
Save Layer Report File

If you dont want to send the layer report to the printer and want to create a
data file instead, use this option. The file extension is set in the Edit menu when
you select the parameters that are to be included in the report.
Save Layer Data File

If you would like to create a data file that may be used by another program, this
is the option that you would use. First you select the parameters that you want
included in the data file using the Edit menu item. Once the parameters are
selected, then use this command to save the file. This command differs from
above in that this one will not include the headings of the different column in the
data file.
The following commands are focused on the data point interpretation. These
commands are focused on the data points rather than on the layers and results of
the layers.
Print Data Point Report

When the parameters have been selected in the Edit, Select Date Point Report
Parameters, you can select this option to send the layer material directly to the
printer.
Print Data Point Graph

When the parameters have been selected in the Edit, Select Data Point
Parameters for Data Point Paper Plots, you can select this option to send the
charts directly to the printer.
Print Data Point Report and Graph

This will simply send the data point report and data point graphs discuss above
to the printer
Save Data Point Report File

If you dont want to send the data point report to the printer and want to create
a data file instead, use this option. The file extension is set in the Edit menu
when you select the parameters that are to be included in the data point report.
Save Data Point Data File

If you would like to create a data file that may be used by another program, this
is the option that you would use. First you select the parameters that you want
27
included in the data point data file using the Edit menu item. Once the
parameters are selected, use this command to save the file. This command
differs from above in that this one will not include the headings of the different
column in the data file.
Save & Exit

When you have identified all the layers and are ready to move on, select this
option. The program will create a file that has all the layer data stored in it for
future use. The file with the layer information will have an OTX extension.
Edit
When Edit is selected, the following menu will be displayed.
Figure 4-5 Edit Options from the Layer Selection Screen
Auto Scale
This is a toggle between having the program select the scales that will be used
to plot the data. If checked, it will skip the first 8 and the last 8 points and
determine the most appropriate scale. It skips the first and last because these
are often very hard and will significantly skew the scale that will be used. You
28
will need to be careful because as you are working a project, you are looking
similarities and differences within a sounding and between soundings. If the
scale is allowed to automatically change, the differences and similarities within
the sounding and between the soundings are more difficult to recoginize.
The scales that are selected by the computer can be manually over ridden.
Simply go to the scale for the graph and type in the value of the scale that you
would like. It will remain that for that sounding. When you read another
sounding, it will auto scale the next sounding. If Auto Scale is not checked, the
scale will remain the same for all the soundings unless you manually change it.
Magnitude
Although a magnitude is entered in the VPD file for the project, this allows the
user to quickly change the magnitude for sensitivity analyses. The program will
immediately plot the data for the new magnitude.
Acceleration
Although the acceleration is entered in the VPD file for the project, this allows
the user to quickly change the acceleration for sensitivity analyses. The
program will immediately calculate all the parameters and then plot the data for
the new acceleration.
Water Depth for Liquefaction Analysis

As above, with the ability to change this variable, the user is able to perform
sensitivity analyses for a changing water depth. The program will calculate the
settlement for earthquake due to liquefaction and just the settlement of dry
sand. Therefore, the program must know where the liquefaction would occur.
Therefore, the program will automatically insert a layer at the depth of the
ground water depth for liquefaction. When the value it changed, it will also
delete the old layer boundary were the previous ground water depth for
liquefaction was located.
Water Depth during CPT for Normalization

A water table depth is needed to normalize the CPT data. If the surface is flat
and the water table consistent, then this wont be used. The ground water
depth entered in the VPD file will be used. However, if you need to enter a
different ground water depth for a sounding, this it would be done with this
option. When doing liquefaction sensitivity analyses, this value should not be
changed. The depth of the water table at the time of the sounding should be
entered and not modified. This is because the program uses the effective stress
in the normalization process which is then used to classify the data points. By
changing this value, you could also be altering the material behavior types in
the sounding.
29
Fit Plot on a Single Page
When the sounding is ready to be printed, selecting this option will place the
entire sounding on a single page. If the soundings are not very deep, this option
may be used. This is convenient in that you will only have a sounding on a page
but the output will probably have different depth scales if they are pushed to
different depths so it would be difficult to place the different sounding outputs
side by side and compare the results.
Set feet per Page

When the sounding is printed, this will set the number of feet that will be plotted
on a single page. By setting this option, the same depth scale will be used for
all the plots. This could allow easier comparisons
Select Parameters for Screen Layer Selection

When identifying the layers, you can select up to five parameters that will be
plotted on the screen to make your decisions. When you select this menu,
another menu will appear as shown. Figure 4.6 shows the menu for selecting
the parameters to be used in the layer selection process. Five parameters and
no more than five can be used for this feature. See Figure 4-6.
Settlement. Each of the parametersin Figure 4-6 are reasonably self explanatory.
However, there is an important explanation for the settlement calcualtions that
needs to be understood. When settlement is selected, a cumulative plot of the
settlement will appear. Above the plot, two separate settlement values will
appear. One is labeled as Inc for each of the incremental readings and the other
one is Lyr, based using the agerage values of the layer to calculate settmement.
Inc represents the settlement that is calculated for each data point and then
summed. The Lyr is for layer settlement. This method uses the average values
calculated for the layer and then using the average layer values, the settlement
is calculated. If the layers selected closely resemble the data, then the
difference between the two values will be small. However, is large groupings of
materials is selected, the difference between the two values could be significant.
30
Figure 4-6, Menu for Selecting Graphs to be used for Layer Selection
Select Parameters for Layer Paper Plots
This would be to determine the data that you would like printed for a layer
report or for an analysis. There are more items to select than for the Layer
Selection listed above. Once these are defined, they are stored in the data
file so the next the file is examined, these parameters will be selected,
regardless of what was selected before this file was read.
Select Parameters for Data Point Paper Plots
This would be to determine the data that you would like printed for a layer
report or for an analysis. There are more items to select than for the Layer
Selection listed above. Once these are defined, they are stored in the data
file so the next the file is examined, these parameters will be selected,
regardless of what was selected before this file was read.
Select Report Parameters

This is the menu to use when designing the data and information that you want
printed. When you select this option, you will be presented with all the
parameters than you can have printed. Simply type in the number of the
parameter in the large input box and put the parameters in the order that you
31
would like them printed.
You also have two other options. If you want the data and information printed to
a file, then check the box in the upper left hand corner. You also can enter the
name of the extension of the file that will contain the data. If you want, because
it will be just an ASCII type of file, Word and other word processing programs
recognize a TXT extension. See Figure 4-7.
Figure 4-7 Report and Data File Creation options from the Layer Selection Screen
For all parameters, the user should check the references to understand the
limitations of the parameter so that it is not used incorrectly.
Table 4-1 Description of Parameter Choices that Could be Included a Report
32
Parameter Description
No.
Layer Number. Prints the layer number for the selected layers.
1
Depth to Top of Layer. Prints the top depth for the layers.
2
Depth to Middle of Layer. Prints the depth to the middle of each

3
layer.
Depth to Bottom of Layer. Prints the bottom depth for the layers.
4
Thickness. Prints the thickness of the layers.

5
Measured Point Stress (qc)

6
Normalized and dimensionless Point Stress for classification. Prints
7
the average normalized point stress for the layers. (Qn)
Normalized and dimensionless point stress (q c1n)

8
Normalized and dimensionless clean sand equivalent point stress
9
(qc1ncs)
Sleeve Stress. Prints the average sleeve stress for the layers.
10
User defined parameter contained in the data file. Usually this

11
would be the pore pressure. Prints the average user defined
parameter or pore pressure for the layers if this data was collected.
Friction Ratio. Prints the average friction ratio for the layers.
12
Material Behavior Number. Prints the material behavior zone

13
number for the layer.
Soil Description. Prints the soil description for the layers. The
14
CONE program will always use the normalized point stress to
determine the soil description.
USCS Description. Prints the Unified Soil Classification System

15
(USCS) for the layers. The CONE program will always use the
normalized point stress to determine the classification.
33
Unit Weight. Prints the unit weight for the layer. The unit weights
16
for each material type are included in the Material Behavior Data
file.
Number of data points in the layer that were used to calculate the
17
average values.
Qc to N Ratio. Prints the corresponding Q c to N ratio each layer. This

18
method of blow count determination is described by Robertson and
Campanella and can only be used for their classification scheme.
Blow Count from Qc to N Ratio. Prints the blow count for each layer
19
that was determined using the Qc to N ratio from the material
behavior zone determined for each layer in the sounding
N=qc1n/(qc1n to N Ratio)
An Rat (Ratio) in the column title indicates that the Qc to N ratio

was used for the correlation instead of from a chart as indicated
below.
Reserved
20
Relative Density is calculated using the following equation (Zhang,

21
Robertson and Brachman, 2004)
Dr=-85*76(Log(qc1N))
Friction Angle. Prints the friction angle of the layer using the
22
following equation. (Robertson, 1998)
Tan()= (1/2.68) * (log(qc/vo) ) + 0.29)
34
Undrained Shear Strength. Prints the undrained shear strength of
23
the layer. This is not printed if the material is identified as a
granular material. This value is determined from equation 5.5 in
the work done by Robertson and Campanella (1984). The Nk factor
is needed for this determination. This equation is shown below.
Su ( qc ) / N k
where:
Su = Undrained shear strength
qc1n = Corrected point stress
o = Total overburden stress
Nk = Cone shape factor
24 Over Consolidation Ratio. Prints the Over Consolidation Ratio (OCR)

for the layer. By knowing the undrained shear strength that was
calculated above, the overburden stress and the ratio of the
normally consolidated undrained shear strength to the overburden
stress, the over consolidation ratio can be calculated. The form of
the equation is shown below:
1.25
Su /v
OCR
Su /vNC
where:
Su= Undrained shear strength
v = Effective overburden stress
Su/vNC= Ratio for normally consolidated clays
The ratio of the normally consolidated undrained shear strength to
the overburden stress ranges from 0.16 to 0.40 with 0.33 being the
most applicable for post-Pleistocene clays. See Schmertman (1978)
for a more detailed discussion.
25 Fines content from Ic (Robertson & Wride, 1998, pg 450)

FC%=5 if Ic<1.26
FC%=1.75*Ic3.25-3.7
FC%=95 if Ic>3.5
35
26 Reserved
27 D50. The D50 value as input by the user is printed for the layers. The
units for this are in millimeters. Because this parameter is
determined using the material behavior number, it already takes
into account the normalized point stress effects so it will not make
any difference if the AN@ is or isnt included.
28 Nk. This is the cone factor that is used to determine the undrained
shear strength.
29 Sigma= () at top of Layer. This will print the effective overburden

stress at the top of a soil layer.
30 Sigma= () at middle of Layer. This will print the effective

overburden stress at the middle of the soil layer.
31 Sigma= () at the bottom of Layer. This will print the effective

overburden stress at the bottom of the soil layer.
32 Sigma Total (o) at top of Layer. This will print the total overburden
stress at the top of a soil layer.
33 Sigma Total (o) at middle of Layer. This will print the total
overburden stress at the middle of the soil layer.
34 Sigma Total (o) at the bottom of Layer. This will print the total
overburden stress at the bottom of the soil layer.
35 Ic material index (Youd et al. 2001, pg. 822, eq 14)
36 Cyclic Stress Ratio (CSR) (Youd et al. 2001, pg. 818, eq. 1)
37 Cyclic Resistance Ratio (CRR) (Youd et al. 2001, pg. 822, eq. 11a &
11b)
38 K correction factor (Youd et al. 2001, pg. 829, fig 15)
36
39 Minimum Liquefaction Factor of Safety in the Layer. This takes all
the Factors of Safety for each of the individual points and then
determines which one is the lowest. (Youd et al., 2001, pg. 828, eq.
30)
40 Liquefaction Factor of Safety calculated using the average values

from the layer (Youd et al., 2001, pg. 828, eq. 30). If the program
prints an * then it is a soil that is not liquefiable. If it prints N/A
then is is a soil that is liquefiable but it is above the water table so it
will not liquefy.
41 Stress Reduction Factor (Youd et al., 2001, pg. 819, eq 3)
42 Volumetric Strain () %. Zhang et al., 2002, pg. 1171, fig 3 and pg.
1180 below the water table, Pradel (1998) above the water table.
43 Settlement for the layer. (volumetric strain * height of layer). When

this parameter is selected, the value that is printed in the table is
calculated from the average parameters for the layer. The
settlement value shown on the plots is calculated using the values
for each individual data point and then summed over the sounding.
The closer the layers resemble the data, the closer these values will
be. If the layers differ significantly from the data points, then layer
settlement value and the continuous settlement value can be
significantly different.
44 Dry sand settlement (above the ground water) Pradel (1998)
45 Wet sand settlement from liquefaction (Zhang et al., 2002)
46 Maximum Cyclic Shear Strain (Zhang, Robertson and Brachman,

2004)
47 Lateral Displacement index (Zhang, Robertson and Brachman, 2004)
48 Clean sand box. Reports if a layer falls within the clean sand box
reported by Robertson & Wride (1998)
49 EQ zone. Reports if a layer falls within one of the earthquake zones
(A, B, or C) as reported by Robertson & Wride (1998)
50 Sand/Geologic material description. If during the layer selection
process, you use the shift-right click keys, you can enter the number
of the soil/geologic material description for a range of layers. This
will print the soil/geologic material description on the report.
37
51 Sand/Geologic material number. As with the previous item, if the
soil/geologic numbers were identified in the layer selection screen,
this option will print the number associated with the soil/geologic
description.
55 Liquefy2 Middle Depth of Layer. See Liquefy2 Users Manual
56 Liquefy2 Bottom Depth of Layer. See Liquefy2 Users Manual
User Defined Correlations

The user can define different correlations to be printed that are
related to the material behavior type zones
The following are user defined correlations
58 In MBD Data file when distributed. This is the flag needed for
Liquefy2 to recognize whether a given layer has the potential for
Liquefaction
Select Data File Parameters

If you would like a set of data printed in a data file that would be used in another
program, this used this option. You select the parameters and order for each
layer that you included in the data file. This is similar to the option above except
that none of the header information is included in the data file. If you need
other data included in the data file besides the layer data, you will need to add
this information by using another Text Editor such as NotePad or Word.
Even though you have selected the parameters to be contained in the data file,
if you want the data file created, you MUST also check the box. If this box is not
checked, the file will not be created. You also can enter the name of the
extension of the file that will contain the data. If you want other information
included in the data file, you will need to go in with another Text Editor and add
that information.
Select Parameters for Material Behavior Zone Plot

Anytime the Material Behavior Zone Plot is used, there are several overlays or
data that can be selected and be shown when this is used. Some of the more
common overlays are the Clean Sand Zone, the Earthquake Zones and the
Normal Consolidation Zone. All of these zones can be plotted at the same time
but it can become a little confusing.
The percentages can be calculated for the percent of each data point that falls
within the material behavior zone. This is useful in determining how well the
classification of the layer matches the various data points the comprise the
layer.
38
VIEW
The View menu will provide the user with the following options. See Figure 4-8.
Figure 4-8, View Menu Option
View Layer Report

Allows the user to see the report parameters selected and the results for each of
the layers.
This also allows you to select one or multiple layers that can be plotted in on a
Material Behavior Plot format. If you need to examine the individual data points
that fall into this layer, you can also select the Show Data button near the
bottom of the screen. See Figure 4-9.
If the user wants to look at the individual data points that are part of a layer,
simply highlight the layer and click on the Show Data button. This will then list
all the individual data points that were measured in that layer.
If the user would like to see all the layers plotted on one chart, simply click on
the Select All and all the data for the layers selected will be plotted.
39
View Graph
This will simply plot the parameters on the screen that you have selected. To
change these parameters, go to Edit, Select Parameters for Paper Plot. If you
want to change the scale, then you need to do this on the Edit, Fit on Page or Set
the Feet per Page, which ever you desire.
Figure 4-9 View Layer Report
40
Figure 4-10 View Layer Graphs
View Layer Data File

This will provide a view of the data and information that are selected under the
Edit menu option. This is very similar to the View Layer Report above but this is
the data that will be saved to a data file with out any of the heading information
listed above the columns. To create the data file, go to the File menu.
View Data Point Report

When the parameters to be saved have been selected in the Edit, Select Data
Point Report Parameters, you can select this option and it will show what the
report will look like. When this data is saved to file, under the File Menu, this will
include heading titles above the listed data columns. See Figure 4-11.
41
Figure 4-11 View Data Point Report
View Data Point Graph

Using the parameters that the user has selected to be plotted for the paper
printout of the data point graphs, the program will let the user look at what the
outcome will look like and give the user to edit/modify different parameters
before the graph is sent to a printer. For this option, no layer information will be
included on the graph. See Figure 4-12
View Data Point Data File

This will provide a view of the data and information that are selected under the
Edit menu option. This is very similar to the View Data Point Report above but
this is the data that will be saved to a data file with out any of the heading
information above the columns. To create the data file, go to the File menu.
42
Figure 4-12 View Data Point Graph
Clear Layers
If a number of layers have been selected and you dont want them, this will simply
clear all the layers that have been selected. If a file has been created during a
previous session, you clear the layers and then you then give a Save & Exit
command with no layers selected, the program will then ask if you want to also
delete the file that contains the layer information.
Cancel
If you have done something and you dont want to save it, this option will not save
anything for future work and exit the Layer Selection screen. If a file exists from
previous work with the layer data, this option will not delete that file and it will not
store anything on top of the file so it will remain as it was when the sounding data
file was read.
43
Appendix A
Input Data File Format and Content
VPD
MBD
44
APPENDIX A: DATA FILE FORMAT AND CONTENT
The following explanation describes in more detail the data files necessary and their
structures needed for proper program execution. The two control data files, which
are the vendor and project data file (VPD) and the material behavior data (MBD)
file. These files must be created with either a text editor such as NotePad. Word
processors such as Word can also be used but the data must be saved as a regular
text file and NOT as a Word (.doc) file.
The data from the soundings will also be used, but those files would have been
created by the cone system at the time that the sounding is made. Editing of the
sounding files, which contain the sounding data, is typically not required.
Data File Layout

The data file descriptions provided later follow the same format. The line number is
listed, followed by the variable number that should be entered for that line.
Sometimes, it is impossible to know what line number is being entered because it
depends on what you have defined previously. In those instances, the line will only
have Next followed by the variables that should be entered on that line. After
each variable number is a short description of what each variable represents.
Vendor Parameter Data

This data file is used to describe the file layout and units of measurements used in
the vendors data file. You can either create a new one using an ASCII editor or
under the Main Screen, Edit, Create/Edit VPD File. This will allow you to make sure
the VPD data file contains the correct information. The layout of this file is as
follows:
Table A-1 Data Description of the VPD Data File

Line Dat Data No. Description
Number aNo
.
Project title or location where the project title is found in the CPT
1
data file. To use the information in the data file, first enter an &
(ampersand) followed by the line number that the information will
be found and then the beginning column and then the ending
column.
If you do not want to use the information in the data file, simple
enter the information that you would like to use and the
information in the data file will not be used.
This is the title that will appear at the top of the report and the
45
plot
2 Project Name or location where the project name is found in the
CPT data file. To use the information in the data file, first enter an
& (ampersand) followed by the line number that the information
will be found and then the beginning column and then the ending
column.
3 Cone/Rig Name or location where the cone/rig name is found in

the CPT data file. To use the information in the data file, first enter
an & (ampersand) followed by the line number that the
information will be found and then the beginning column and then
the ending column.
4 Project identification or location where the project identification is

found in the CPT data file. To use the information in the data file,
first enter an & (ampersand) followed by the line number that
the information will be found and then the beginning column and
then the ending column.
4 Sounding identification or location where the sounding

identification is found in the CPT data file. To use the information
in the data file, first enter an & (ampersand) followed by the line
number that the information will be found and then the beginning
column and then the ending column.
4 CPT data/time or location where the CPT date/time is found in the

CPT data file. To use the information in the data file, first enter an
& (ampersand) followed by the line number that the information
46
will be found and then the beginning column and then the ending
column.
5 Blank, reserved for future use

9 1 This is the name of the extension for the sounding data files. This
is typically different for each vendor. For example, Fugro uses
OUT. Gregg uses .COR Holguin-Fahan & Assoc. used CPD for
analog rigs and CPT for digital rigs.
Depth in feet of the ground water at the time of the test. The
10 1
Program uses this info to normalize the data for classification
purposes.
2 This is the depth of the ground water for the liquefaction analysis.
This value may or may not be the same as the water table depth
entered above. It is generally above the ground water depth
entered above. If the water table was low when the test was
performed and it may rise, then this water table depth will be
above the ground water depth at the time of the test.
This is the value of the acceleration that will be used in the

11 1
liquefaction analysis (amax / g).
2 This is the value of the earthquake magnitude that will be used in

the liquefaction analysis. If you want to perform sensitivity
analyses by modifying this number in the LayerSelection Screen.
12 1 This is the value of 1 atmosphere. Currently the program only

runs in tons per square foot (TSF) to this value should remain at
1.06. It is anticipated that more units will be added in the future.
47
13 1 Unit weight of water. Currently, this should remain at 62.4. In the
future other units will be added and this will change at that point.
2 This paramater is for converting unit weight to the unit that is

being used. Typically, this is so unit weights can be entered in
pounds per cubic foot and this conversion factor will convert them
to tons per cubic foot.
14 1 This is the number of lines in the sounding data file to the first line
of data.
15 1 Column of the data file that contains depth
2 Depth conversion factor. This is the factor that will be used to

multiply the depth data in the data file to get feet. If the data is
already in feet, then 1.0 should be entered. If the depth data is in
meters, then 3.28 should be entered.
3 Unit that the depth is in. Currently, this is always in ft. This will
be modified in the future.
16 1 Column of the data file that contains the point stress
2 Point stress conversion factor. This is the factor that will be used
to multiply the point stress data to get to tsf. If the data is already
in tsf, then 1 should be added.
3 Point Stress units. Currently this is tsf but will be modified in the
future.
17 1 Column of the data file that contains the sleeve stress
2 Sleeve stress conversion factor. This is the factor that will be used
to multiply the sleeve stress data to get to tsf. If the data is
already in tsf, then 1 should be added. This would only on rare
occasions be different from the point stress conversion factor.
3 Sleeve stress units. Currently this is tsf but will be modified in the
future.
18 1 Column of the data file that contains the pore pressure or other
data that could be collected on the 4th chanel such as seismic
readings and may be contained in the data file. If no data is in the
data file for the 4th channel, then a 0 should be entered here.
Even though there is no data, the following parameters should still
be entered.
2 Pore pressure conversion factor or conversion factor for any other
48
data that may be in the data file. This is the factor that will be
used to multiply value in the data file. Because pore is not used in
classification, it can be in psi or any other unit desired. It does not
need to be the same unit as the point and sleeve stresses.
3 Pore pressure or other unit that represents this data.
19 1 Name of the data that is contained in the data file. Typically this
would be pore pressure. If not, then this should be modified to
reflect the parameter that is contained in the data file.
20 1 When the report is printed, this is the number of characters wide

that the data would take.
2 When the report is printed, this is number of decimal places that

will be shown
21 1 This is the first header of the data column for the report. This
should not contain more characters than the first variable in line
13 above.
22 1 This is the second header of the data column for the report. This
should not contain more characters than the first variable in line
13 above.
Because of the importance of this data file and the fact that it will probably be
altered on a regular basis, under the main screen, select Edit,
Create/Edit VPD Data File. Once the data is altered for another vendor,
it should be saved under another name.
49
Material Behavior Type Data
This data file contains the data describing the different polygons that represent the
different material behavior type zones. Sample files are included which contain the
material behavior classification zones identified by Robertson (1990). These data
files are included to help as a beginning point but the information in the data file
must be verified by a Professional Engineer to determine their applicability to the
site being investigated and any analyses being performed. References regarding
different parameters should also be checked to ensure that they are not used
incorrectly.
The program will start the classification process by checking to see if a point falls
within the first polygon and continue to the next until it falls inside one of the
polygons. When a sounding data point falls within a polygon, then the point is
classified and the program will go to the next sounding data point. Any polygon can
be added that overlaps any of the other polygons but it will only classify it
according to the first polygon that the data point falls into.
Commas or spaces must separate the variables on a line. The structure of this file
is as follows:
Table A-2, Data Description of the MBD Data File
Line Data Data number description
No. No.
1 1 This variable is the maximum overburden stress correction value

that should be used. The NCEER paper recommends 1.7 be used.
2 This variable for this line is the minimum overburden stress

correction value that would be used. The NCEER paper
recommends 0.4.
2 1 This line variable shows the number of points needed to define a

polygon for a given material behavior type zone.
Repeat the following information for each material behavior zone.
3 1 The number of X and Y pairs that are used to define this polygon
2 Red, (0 to 255) valued to be used for this material type
3 Green, (0 to 255) valued to be used for this material type
4 Blue, (0 to 255) valued to be used for this material type
5 The last variable on this line is the description or name of the

material behavior zone being defined by the polygon. This last
variable must be enclosed with double quotes as shown in the
example file.
50
4 1&2 Contains the pairs of X and Y numbers needed to describe the
polygon for the material behavior zone described in the previous
line. There can be no more than 20 pairs used for each polygon.
The pairs can start at any location but MUST be entered
sequentially in a clockwise direction. The program uses an
efficient point-in-polygon algorithm to determine which material
classification polygon a given point stress and friction ratio data
point falls into. However, the more points used to define a material
classification polygon the slower the program will run, so use
points wisely. If a point falls on a line then it is considered to be
inside the polygon and the program will go to the next data point.
There will be as many pairs of X and Y as are listed in the first
variable in the material type record. Only one pair per line should
be entered. The first variable on the line is the friction ratio or the
X variable and second variable is the point stress or the Y variable.
The X variable is the friction ratio, the Y variable is the point stress.
Once all the pairs are listed for a material behavior polygon, then a new material
type record should be started as described in line 3. There should be a material
type record for each of the material behavior type polygons described in line 2.
After all the data is entered, from the Main Screen, select View Material Behavior
Type Zones. If the zones are plotted as desired, then the data has been entered
correctly. If not, there will be a problem with the data and program execution.
Make sure that the data in the MBD file is entered correctly.
Before a new material behavior data file is created, the program should be run
using one of the default files provided to see what data should appear on the
screen.
After all the polygons are entered, other parameters for each of the material
behavior zones are entered. The following data should be entered.
51
Next 1 This identifies the engineering parameters printed out for
Line each material type. For instance, if it equals 1 then the
parameters printed out are those of a cohesive material.
Relative density will not be printed if a 1 is entered because it
is meaningless for a cohesive material. If it equals 3 then the
parameters printed out are those of a granular material. In
this case, parameters such as unconfined shear strength
would not be printed since it is not appropriate for sand. If it
equals 2, then the material classification is a mixture
somewhere in between a cohesive and a granular material so
all parameters are printed out. Caution should be used
because these are purely empirical and may not be suitable
for some projects. A Professional Engineer must determine
the suitability of the data for design purposes. Also, if this
variable is set to 2 and all the parameters are calculated and
printed, the results can be misleading.
2 The Qc/N ratio for the first material behavior type is then
entered. There are two methods to calculate the blow count.
One is material behavior zone dependant, which uses this
ratio for each behavior type zone as described by Robertson
& Campanella (1984). The other method is not material
dependent but instead uses a series of curves across the
range of point stress and friction ratio, which was developed
by Earth Technology Corporation (1991). If the method
developed by Robertson & Campanella is desired for the blow
count determination, then this value needs to be entered for
each material behavior type zone. If this method is not
wanted, then a 0 should be entered. A more detailed
discussion for the blow count is presented on in the report
selection parameters for the blow count for the SPT.
3 The unit weight for that material behavior type in pounds per
cubic foot is entered. This is the moist or wet unit weight. No
distinction is made in the unit weight above and below the
groundwater table. This is used to calculate the overburden
stress in a layer.
4 The next value that must be entered is the fines content for
the material behavior type zone. As with the blow counts,
this can be calculated two different ways. See a more
detailed discussion for the fines in the report parameter
selection discussion.
52
5 The Nk factor is entered for each material zone. This
parameter is used to calculate the undrained shear strength
of a soil. Depending on the materials being encountered, you
may want to vary this parameter for the different materials.
6 The D50 value is next entered for this material behavior type
zone. The units for this are in millimeters.
7 The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) description for

this material type is entered. This variable must be enclosed
with double quotes (e.g. CL-ML) to be read in properly. Even
if a USCS description isnt desired, a place holder still has to
be entered even if it is just a blank ( ) enclosed with quotes.
There cannot be a space in the description or the program
will consider the data as two variables rather than only one.
If a space is desired between the two descriptions, it must be
enclosed with quotes.
Next 1 The number of soil/geologic descriptions to be included in the

Line MBD file
Next 1 Add as many lines for each soil/geologic description as are

Line listed in the above variable.
Next 1 This number represents the number of user defined

Line correlations that are identified for each of the different
material type zones. If none are added, then simply enter a 0
on this line and skip the next three lines. However, if a value
higher than 0 is entered, then the next three lines should be
entered for each user defined correlation that you enter and a
value should be entered beginning at material behavior zone
1 and continue for each of the material behavior type zones.
Next 1 The width of the correlation in number of characters that the

Line headings and correlations should take in the summary table.
In order to have a space between the column headings, this
value should be 1 larger than the longest label. For example,
if the longest label is APile@, then as a minimum, this value
would be 5, four characters and one space. If you prefer
more spacing between columns, then simply increase this
value as desired.
53
Next 1 The first line of the heading that will be used in the report
Line table. The length of this heading should be less than the
number of characters identified in the previous line. If you
want more than one word, then you must enclose the words
with quotes (A).
2 The second line of the heading that will be used in the report
table.
3 The third line of the heading that will be used in the report
table.
Next 1- This line should contain a value for each material behavior
Line 16 type zone that this are being used. If there are 9 zones, then
9 values that correlate with each of the material behavior
type zones should be entered, all on this line.
Next 1 Ratio of the normally consolidated undrained shear strength

Line (Su) to the overburden stress (Su/sigma). This value is
typically near 0.33 (Schmertmann, 1978).
54
LIQUEFY2
The LIQUEFY2 program performs an empirical estimation of earthquake-induced
liquefaction potential. This menu option will allow you to create a file that contains
the soil profile information that can be used directly by the LIQUEFY2 computer
program. A file will be created using the root file name but it will have an LDT file
extension. The parameters that are to be included in the LDT file such as blow
counts, the use of normalized data, and other information are calculated using the
types of analyses that are requested in the LIQUEFY2.OPD file.
The LIQUEFY2 computer program requires that the layers meet certain geometric
requirements that are specific to the program. Because of this, a script file could be
written but a filter needs to be applied to the layer data so that the layers end on
the whole or half foot interval and the blow count depths end on the 0.25 or 0.75 ft
interval which are required by LIQUEFY2. In the event that the resulting adjustment
would give a layer that is thinner than 0.5 feet, this program will place an * in front
of that layer and you will need to go in later and adjust it manually. The CONE
program recognizes that a LIQUEFY2 data file is being created when the file
extension entered in the OPD file ends with LDT. When the CONE program finds
this, the filter is run before the resulting data is stored on disk.
The liquefaction flag that is used to determine whether or not a soil is liquefiable or
not is entered in the SPD data file as 101 that is the first user definable data. The
parameters that are listed are simply estimated and you need to verify that they
are correct for your usage.
If you have further questions on the LIQUEFY2 software or would like to purchase it,
please contact:
Thomas F. Blake
759 Paseo Montecito
Newbury Park, CA 91320
Phone: (805)499-5266
FAX: (805)499-1249
55
REFERENCES
Earth Technology Corporation, (1991) The Cone Penetration Test (CPT): A Guide to
Application, Methodology, and Data Interpretation, Testing Services Group,
Huntington Beach, CA
Ladd, C., R. Foot, K. Ishihara, F. Schlosser, and H.G. Poulos(1977), Stress-

Deformation and Strength Characteristics, proceedings of the 9 th
International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering,
Tokyo, Vol. 2, pp. 421-494.
Meigh, A.C. (1987), Cone Penetration Testing: Methods and Interpretation, Ground
Engineering Report: In-Situ Testing, Construction Industry Research and
Information Assoc. (CIRIA), Butterworths, London.
Pradel, Daniel, (1998) Procedure to Evaluate Earthquake-Induced Settlements in

Dry Sandy Soils Journal of Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, 98(4),
364-368
Robertson, P. K. (1990) Soil classification using CPT. Canadian Geotechnical

Journal, Ottawa, 27(1), 151-158
Robertson, P. K. and Wride, C. E. (1998) Evaluating cyclic liquefaction potential

using the cone penetration test. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, Ottawa,
35(3), 442-459.
Robertson, P. K., and Fear, C. E. (1995) Liquefaction of sands and its evaluation.
Proceedings, First International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical
Engineering,
Robertson, P.K. and R.G. Campanella (1984), Guidelines for Use and Interpretation
of the Electronic Cone Penetration Test, Second Edition, Hogentogler &
Company, Inc., Columbia, MD
Schmertmann, J.H. (1978) Guidelines for Cone Penetration Testing: Performance and
Design, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration,
Offices of Research and Development, Washington, Report Number FHWA-TS-
78-209
Seed, H. B. and Idriss, I. M. (1971) Simplified procedure for evaluating soil

liquefaction potential. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE,
97(9), 1249-1273
Seed, H. B., Tokimatsu, K., Harder, L. F., and Chung, R. M. (1985) The influence of
SPT procedures in soil liquefaction resistance evaluations. Journal of
Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE, 111(12), 1425-1445
Shibata, T and W. Teparaksa (1988), Evaluation of Liquefaction Potentials of Soils

Using Cone Penetration Tests, Soils and Foundations, Japanese Society of
Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 28, No. 2, pp 49-60, June
1988, Tokyo
Tokimatsu, E., and Seed, H. B. (1987) Evaluation of Settlements in sands due to

earthquake shaking. Journal of Geotechnical engineering, ASCE, 113(8), 861-
878
Youd, T. L., and Idriss, I. M., Editors. (1997) Proceedings, NCEER Workshop on
Evaluation of Liquefaction Resistance of Soils, Technical Report NCEER-97-
0022, National Center for Earthquake Engineering, Research, State University
of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Zhang, G., Robertson, P. K., and Brachman, R. W. I. (2002) Estimating liquefaction-

induced ground settlements from CPT for level ground Canadian
Geotechnical Journal, Ottawa, 39: 1168-1180
Zhang, G. Robertson, P.K. and Brachman, R. W. I. (2004) Estimating Liquefaction-

Induced Lateral Displacements Using the Standard Penetration Test or Cone
Penetration Test Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering,
ASCE, August, 2004, 861-871
58

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CPT Analyst

Installation with Windows

Running the Program

Initial Menu Screen

Figure 3.1 Main Menu Screen

Open Vendor and Project Data (.VPD)

Open Material Behavior Data (.MBD)

Open Cone Data files

Graphics Printer and Report Printer Setup

Figure 3-3 Edit Screen in the Main Menu

Edit Minimum Thickness for Automatic Layer Selection

Create/Edit VPD Data File

Using the label information from the data file

Figure 3-5 Main Menu View Screen

Data Point Information at Bottom of the Screen

Layer Information at the Bottom of the Screen

Material Behavior Plot for a Layer

Parameters Edited Directly on Screen

Pixels per Point

Max Scale for First Plot

Max Scale for Second Plot

Max Scale for Third Plot

Max Scale for Fourth Plot

Max Scale for Fifth Plot

Print Layer Report

Print Layer Graph

Save Layer Report File

Save Layer Data File

Print Data Point Report

Print Data Point Graph

Print Data Point Report and Graph

Save Data Point Report File

Save Data Point Data File

Save & Exit

Figure 4-5 Edit Options from the Layer Selection Screen

Water Depth for Liquefaction Analysis

Water Depth during CPT for Normalization

Set feet per Page

Select Parameters for Screen Layer Selection

Select Report Parameters

Table 4-1 Description of Parameter Choices that Could be Included a Report

Depth to Middle of Layer. Prints the depth to the middle of each

Thickness. Prints the thickness of the layers.

Measured Point Stress (qc)

Normalized and dimensionless point stress (q c1n)

User defined parameter contained in the data file. Usually this

Material Behavior Number. Prints the material behavior zone

USCS Description. Prints the Unified Soil Classification System

Qc to N Ratio. Prints the corresponding Q c to N ratio each layer. This

An Rat (Ratio) in the column title indicates that the Qc to N ratio

Relative Density is calculated using the following equation (Zhang,

Tan()= (1/2.68) * (log(qc/vo) ) + 0.29)

24 Over Consolidation Ratio. Prints the Over Consolidation Ratio (OCR)

25 Fines content from Ic (Robertson & Wride, 1998, pg 450)

29 Sigma= () at top of Layer. This will print the effective overburden

30 Sigma= () at middle of Layer. This will print the effective

31 Sigma= () at the bottom of Layer. This will print the effective

35 Ic material index (Youd et al. 2001, pg. 822, eq 14)

38 K correction factor (Youd et al. 2001, pg. 829, fig 15)

40 Liquefaction Factor of Safety calculated using the average values

41 Stress Reduction Factor (Youd et al., 2001, pg. 819, eq 3)

43 Settlement for the layer. (volumetric strain * height of layer). When

44 Dry sand settlement (above the ground water) Pradel (1998)

45 Wet sand settlement from liquefaction (Zhang et al., 2002)