The 'pressuremeter test' (PMT) in a borehole measures:
Choose the correct answer
Vertical stress at depth only
In-situ horizontal stress and soil stiffness from inflating probe against borehole wall — limit pressure and pressuremeter modulus
Only soil moisture content
Shear strength by driving a cone
Correct Answer
B. In-situ horizontal stress and soil stiffness from inflating probe against borehole wall — limit pressure and pressuremeter modulus
Why is this the answer?
Pressuremeter: cylindrical probe inflated in borehole under controlled pressure. Measures volume of water pumped in vs pressure applied → pressure-volume curve. From curve: (1) Limit pressure pL (equivalent to passive resistance); (2) Ménard pressuremeter modulus EM (soil stiffness); (3) KH0 (at-rest horizontal stress from lift-off pressure). Used for: foundation design in French practice (Ménard), pile design (semi-empirical), creep coefficient for settlements.
Related Soil Mechanics MCQs
More solved Soil Mechanics questions for AE/JE Civil Engineering exams.
- The 'Hvorslev parameters' c_e and φ_e in soil mechanics refer to:
- The 'International Building Code' (IBC) and IS codes classify building sites for...
- 'Vibro-flotation' (vibro-compaction) is used to densify:
- The 'primary consolidation' of a clay layer settles because:
- The 'IS 2911' code series covers:
- The 'shear strength' of soil measured in an 'undrained triaxial test' (UU test) is:
Practice more Civil Engineering questions
This MCQ belongs to JE Level Premium Test Series. Full tests include timed attempts, rank comparison and subject-wise analysis.