Abstract
The estimation of the undrained shear strength $s_u$ for clays using CPT results has been mainly based on the cone factor $N_k$. In this study, a new CPT-based method for the estimation of the undrained shear strength $s_u$ is presented. This aims at reducing uncertainties for the estimation of $s_u$ and enhancing the application of CPT results in more effective manner. For this purpose, a site located at a marine clay deposit is selected and test results from extensive experimental testing program are adopted. The new method defines a direct correlation between the undrained shear strength $s_u$ and the cone resistance $q_t$, excluding the procedure of the overburden pressure correction and therefore undisturbed soil sampling process. In order to verify the new CPT-based method, additional test sites and example sites from literature, which consist of a variety of soil conditions, are selected and examined. It is observed that values of su obtained from the proposed method are in good agreements with measured values of $s_u$ for all the selected verification cases.