Version1 June2009

STRENGTHDYNAMICCONEPENETROMETER(DCP)

GeneralDescription
TheDynamicConePenetrometer(DCP)isa
simpletestingdeviceusedtoestimatetheinsitu
shearstrengthofsoilandgranularmaterials
usedinroadwaysandotherconstruction
relatedprojects.TheDCPconsistsofalower

rodwithananviland60degree conetipandan
8kghammerontheupperrod.Thehammer
fallsadistanceof575mmwhereitstrikesthe
anvilanddrivesthetipintothesoil.Penetration
measurementscanbemadeusingadetached
ruler.

COLLECTIONFREQUENCY

Procedure
PREPARATIONFORTEST
DCPisnotintendedtobedriventhroughconcreteorbituminouslayers.Ifyouintendtotestbeneath
thesesurfacesacoreholeatleast50mmindiametermustbemade.Ifawatercooledcoringdeviceis
used,theDCPtestshouldbeconductedimmediatelyaftercoringtolimitthesaturationofthesoil
below.Excesssurfacewatermustberemovedbeforetesting.ADCPcollectiondatasheetcontainstest
location,typeofsoilbeingtestedandtestdate.

CONDUCTINGTHETEST
Ensurethatthereisaflat,leveltestingsurface.CarefullyplacetheDCPonthesurface.Iftesting
throughacoreholecentertheDCPsothelowershaftwillnotmakecontactwiththewallofthehole.
Anyfrictionfromcontactmayinvalidatetheresults.

Step1:Withonehandplacedonthetophandleplacetheothertoseattheconetipbyliftingand
droppingtheslidinghammerfromapartialheight.Stoptheseatingprocessoncethewidestpartofthe
coneisbelowthetestingsurface.

Step2:Establishareferencepointforreadingthepenetrationofthelowershaft.Ifasecondpersonis
readingthelowershaftastraightedgepositiononthegroundnexttotheshaftwillmakeagood
referencepoint.Areferencepointmustremainconstantthroughoutthetest.Ifaremotescaleisbeing
used,thetopoftheremotescaletubeguidewillserveasthereferencepoint.

Step3:Onthetestsheetrecordthecurrentshaftorremotescalereadingasthepenetrationforbelow
zero.

Step4:Maintainingahandonthetophandle
usetheothertoraisethehammertothe
handleandreleasehammerallowingittofall
freelytotheanvil.Usecautionnottoliftthe
entireDCPwhichmightbreakcontact
betweenthesoilandtheconetip.Becareful
nottoinfluencethedropbyforcingthe
hammerdownorgripingthetophandleto
tightly.

Step5:Usingthereferencepointrecordon
datasheetthepenetrationreadingofthe
shaftortheremotescale.Recordthisas
belownumberone.

Step6:Repeatsteps4and5increasingthe
blownumberwitheachhammerdrop.The
raiseanddropsequenceisrepeateduntilthe
entirelowershaftisburiedoruntilthe
desiredtestingdepthisreached.Ifthesoilis
verydenseyoumaydropthehammerseveral
timesbetweenpenetrationreadingsand
recordthecorrespondingblowcounts.Ifthe
totalpenetrationislessthan3mmfor10
consecutivehammerdrops,stopthetestto
preventdamagetotheDCP.

Step7:IfthelowershafthaspenetrateditsfulllengthlifttheDCPusingaspecialequippedfarm
purposejack.BegintheextractionbyplacingthejacktongueundertheDCPhandle.Pumpthejack
untilthejackhandlecanbeplacedundertheDCPanvil.Thenlowerthejackandfinishtheextraction.It
isrecommendedthattheDCPnotbeextractedbyforcefullystrikingthehammeragainsttheDCPtop
handle.ThatwilldamagetheDCPinashortamountoftime.Theonlyexceptionwouldbeinasituation
wherethetestwasperformedinaverysoftmaterialorthetotaltestpenetrationwasshallow.

Step8:Cleanthelowershaftandconetipbywipingwithacleanrag.Inspecttheconetipforexcessive
damageandreplacewhenitswidestsectiondiameterislessthan18mm.

Step9:AsbestyoucanfilltheholeleftinthesoilbytheDCPandrestorethetestsurfacetoitsoriginal
state.

Specifications
RefertoconstructionspecificationsforDCPtesting.DPIreadingrequirementsaregiven.

Formulas
DCPPenetrationIndex(DPI)theamountofverticalmovementoftheDCPconeproducedperdropof
thehammer(mm/drop).

DPI=(PR2PR1)/(DN2DN1)
PR=penetrationreading
DN=dropnumber

Formoreinformation:
Formoreinformationcontact:

RebeccaEmbacher JohnSiekmeier
OfficeofMaterials&RoadResearch OfficeofMaterials&RoadResearch
Phone:6513665525 Phone:6513665417
Email:Rebecca.Embacher@dot.state.mn.us Email:John.Siekmeier@dot.state.mn.us

www.dot.state.mn.us/mnroad