Stratigraphic Profiling by Cluster Analysis and Fuzzy Soil Classification from Mechanical Cone Penetration Tests.

Cone penetration testing has gained increasing popularity in geotechnical site characterization due to its speed and economy, and to the good quality of its data in terms of precision, accuracy, repeatability and continuity of measurement when compared to other in-situ tests. In the present paper, cluster analysis and fuzzy soil classification from mechanical cone penetration tests are applied for stratigraphic delineation in the harbor area of the southern Italian town of Gioia Tauro. The main features of the clustering and fuzzy algorithms adopted are described. The results of stratigraphic profiling by cluster analysis and fuzzy classification for a number of soundings are shown and compared; the applicability of the adopted site characterization techniques is assessed through comparison with adjacent borehole logs and standard penetration tests.