Case Study: Seabed Technologies

Method

The sea bed penetrometer was lowered to the sea bed using an 80 tonne crane and was operated remotely from the quayside.  An umbilical cable carried the electrical signals to operate the penetrometer motor which in turn operated the pair of friction wheels that advanced the CPT push rods and electric cone into the dock sediments at the specified penetration rate of 2cm per second.
 
 
Tests

The investigation comprised 13 cone penetration tests to a maximum depth of 9m to provide a geotechnical characterisation of the dock sediments together with 4 gravity core samples to provide material for a laboratory contamination assessment of the sediments.
The works were successfully completed over a single shift and provided the client with significant cost and time advantages over a conventional pontoon and top push CPT alternative.