Several correlations have been proposed to estimate shear wave velocity (Vs) using Cone Penetration Test (CPT) data. However, many of these methodologies are grounded in assumptions tailored to natural soils, such as clays and clean sands, which may yield unrealistic values when directly applied to tailings.
This paper presents a comparison of various CPT based correlations for estimating Vs using data obtained from Seismic Cone Penetrometer Testing (SCPTu) conducted on copper tailings.
The key assumptions underlying each correlation are discussed to evaluate the factors influencing the estimates, including the depth (confinement pressure) and presence of the water table. Subsequently, deviations for each methodology relative to the downhole values are computed to ascertain which approach yields superior results compared to those obtained in the field.
An optimization process is then employed to adjust the parameters of the different empirical equations, aiming to minimize errors in the estimates by proposing modifications to the original equations that better align with data from mining tailings.
