SEAFLOOR PENETRATION TESTS: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS 



Technical Note N-1178 



YF 38.535.002.01.009 



by 



H. J. Migliore and H. J. Lee 



ABSTRACT 



A series of eleven in situ penetration tests was conducted by 

 the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory (NCEL) at two seafloor sites. 

 The objectives of these tests were to illustrate the capabilities 

 of existing penetration evaluation equipment and to acquire data 

 for use in evaluating a series of proposed penetration prediction 

 techniques. The tests consisted of allowing two types of objects 

 to free-fall into the seafloor with the accelerations experienced 

 by the objects during penetration being recorded mechanically. 

 The resulting data were subjected to a regression analysis which 

 yielded information about the penetration mechanism but no 

 practical results. This was followed by a physical analysis based 

 on static soil mechanics relations. The latter analysis was shown 

 to yield predictions of penetration depth which were within 

 50 percent of the measured values. A suggested prediction technique 

 based on this analysis is presented. 



Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. 



