National Emergency Employment Program for Rural Access

United Nations Office for Project Services

DYNAMIC CONE PENETROMETER (DCP) TEST
1. Introduction:
The Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) is an instrument designed for the rapid in-situ
measurement of the structural properties of existing road pavements (specially for unbound
materials). Description of DCP apparatus, test procedure, reporting and interpretation of results,
factors affecting the C! result ( obtained from DCP ), etc. are described in this "rticle from the
technical papers of #Transport and !oad !esearch $aboratory% (T!!$), &'.
2. Scope:
(.) &sing DCP test continuous measurements can be made do*n to a depth of +,, mm or
more (*hen an extension rod is fitted). -here pavement layers have different strengths the
boundaries can be identified and the thic.ness of the layers determined (according to T!!$).
(.( Co-relations have been established by different research *or.ers bet*een measurements
*ith the DCP and California earing !atio (C!) so that results can be interpreted and
compared *ith C! specifications for pavement design. This test ta.es only a fe* minutes and
therefore the instrument provides a very efficient method (according to T!!$) of obtaining
information *hich *ould normally re/uire the digging of test-pits.
3. Apprtu!:
The model of DCP apparatus of T!!$ (Transport and !oad !esearch $aboratory, &') has the
follo*ing features as sho*n in 0igure1 "
- -eight of the 2ammer is + 'g, having the free-fall of 343 mm
- "ngle of the Cone is 5,
,
, having the diameter of (, mm

". Te!t Procedure:
). Place the cone of the DCP on the top of the road or pavement under the test.
(. $ift the hammer to the stop at the top of the handle and allo* to fall freely a fixed
distance on to the anvil middle of the rod.
6. !ead the depth of penetration on the measuring scale.
7. !ecord depth of penetration for each blo*.
3. !epeat the process until the cone has penetrated the full depth of the road
pavement.
5. Dra* a curve, depth of penetration vs. number of blo*s.
4. Calculate the slope of the curve. Ta.e it as DCP.
+. 8easure the C! corresponding to DCP from figure1 C.
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National Emergency Employment Program for Rural Access
United Nations Office for Project Services
#i$ure A: DCP Apprtu! (Mode% o& TRR'( )*)
+. Interprettion o& Re!u%t!:
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National Emergency Employment Program for Rural Access
United Nations Office for Project Services
3.) The results of the DCP test are usually recorded on a field data sheet and then plotted in a
graph. " typical example of DCP datasheet *ith graph is sho*n later.
3.( The boundaries bet*een layers are easily identified by the change in the rate of penetration.
The thic.ness of the layers can usually be obtained to *ithin ), mm except *here it is
necessary to core (or drill holes) through strong materials to obtain access to the lo*er layers.
9n these circumstances the top fe* millimeters of the underlying layer is often disturbed slightly
and appears *ea.er than normal.
3.6 !elationships bet*een the DCP readings and C! have been obtained by several research
*or.ers, *hich are sho*n in #i$ure C. "greement is generally good over most of the range but
differences are apparent at lo* values of C!, especially for fine grained materials. 9t is
expected that for such materials the relationship bet*een DCP and C! *ill depend on material
state, therefore if precise values are needed it is advisable to calibrate the DCP for the materials
in /uestion.
1. The DCP-C! relationship ( 0igure C ) is applicable for same materials having same
moisture content and density in a test location. C! value of a material found from DCP test,
may not be similar to that *hen performed on laboratory compacted specimen at same :
compaction because the moisture content may not be the same. ;specially *hen the soil is
cohesive, DCP test *ill give higher C! value. ecause it becomes hard *hen dry. 2ence a
layer may sho* different DCP result *hen tested in a dry condition then tested in a *et
condition though its dry-density (:compaction) remains the same. <o if 8oisture Content,
$$=P9, :Compaction are .no*n, then concerned engineers can apply >udgment during result
interpretation, decision ma.ing. Dry layer of cohesive soil may be tested after continuous
rainfall. ?ver consolidated clay layer may also give higher C! value.
(. ;ngineers may develop correlation of DCP and in-situ C! (using truc.-mounted C!
apparatus) for local material. ut both the test should be performed at the same=ad>acent
location and at the same time (in order to perform the tests at similar moisture condition and
similar compaction).
6. @ranular and unbound material may exhibits lo*er C! value from DCP test *hen tested in
an unconfined or topmost layer. ut this may sho* higher C! value *hen another layer is
constructed over it or it becomes confined.
7. -hen DCP test is performed to determine the in-situ C! of a particular layer (say sub-
base, base), then first the layer thic.ness should be determined by digging a hole. Then
average straight-line (lo* versus Penetration) should be plotted using the data of that layer
thic.ness. &sing the average slope (penetration per blo*) of the line, the average C! for that
particular layer could be determined.
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National Emergency Employment Program for Rural Access
United Nations Office for Project Services
0igure 1 Dynamic Cone Penetration
4 4
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United Nations Office for Project Services
0igure1 C C!-DCP !elationships
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National Emergency Employment Program for Rural Access
United Nations Office for Project Services
D"T" <2;;T
DAB"89C C?B; P;B;T!"T9?B T;<T
!oad Bame1 District1
$ocation1 Tested by1
Test Pit Bo. Date of test1
Bo. of
lo*s
!eading
(mm)
Depth (mm) Bo. of
lo*s
!eading
(mm)
Depth (mm)
) (5
( (4
6 (+
7 (C
3 6,
5 6)
4 6(
+ 66
C 67
), 63
)) 65
)( 64
)6 6+
)7 6C
)3 7,
)5 7)
)4 7(
)+ 76
)C 77
(, 73
() 75
(( 74
(6 7+
(7 7C
(3 3,
0igure1 D Data sheet of DCP Test.
6 6