Characterization of “Areolas da Estefânia” formation from the numerical modelling of the pressuremeter test

Abstract

A methodology, based on the finite element method, for the numerical modelling of the Ménard pressuremeter test is presented. This methodology aims to allow the calibration of more complex soil models than the ones currently used in geotechnical practice in Portugal. With this purpose, several numerical sensitivity analyses and parametric studies are carried out in order to identify, from progressive adjustments, the values for the main parameters of the soil model that better reproduce the test curves. This methodology is applied to the characterization of the Miocene formation “Areolas da Estefânia”. Several Ménard pressuremeter test curves, obtained for this formation in several places of Lisbon, were used for this purpose. The soil model obtained with this methodology is compared with results obtained, for the same formation, from the Cambridge self boring pressuremeter. In the end the main advantages and limitations of the proposed methodology are analysed.