The estimation of real geotechnical parameters is key factor for safe and economic design of geotechnical structures. One of these are pile foundations, which require proper design and evaluation due to accessing more deep foundation soil and because remediation work of not bearable piles or broken piles is a crucial operation. For this reason, geotechnical field testing like cone penetration test (CPT), standard penetration (SPT) or dynamic penetration test (DP) are realized in order to receive continuous information about soil strata. Comparing with rotary core drilling type of survey with sampling, these methods are more progressive. From engineering geologist point of view, it is more important to know geological characterization of locality but geotechnical engineers have more interest above the real geotechnical parameters of foundation soils. The role of engineering geologist cannot be underestimated because important geological processes in origin or during history can explain behaviour of a geological environment. In effort to streamline the survey, investigation by penetration tests is done as it is able to provide enough information for designers. This paper deals with actual trends in pile foundation design; because there are no new standards and usable standards are very old. Estimation of the bearing capacity of a single pile can be demonstrated on the example of determination of the cone factorN_kfrom CPT testing. Then results were compared with other common methods.

In the case of realized geotechnical monitoring (GTM) of reinforced retaining wall in difficult geological conditions is demonstrated the important role at realisation of transport infrastructures, which are often realized in insufficient quality due to inappropriate geotechnical parameters from survey works or not fitted well design of structure at certain conditions. This can result in large deformations of structure, or losing stability or structure life-time is very limited and remediation work is complicated and expensive. There was built on the modernized railway line Bratislava – Trenčín, closed to Zlatovce, overpass and connected road embankments on the route of first class I/61. Structure was designed as a bridge over the railway track before the northern portal of the railway tunnel Turecký vrch was open. A part of the embankment and overpass was a retaining wall reinforced by geosynthetics. The results of the geotechnical monitoring of this wall were afterwards simulated using finite element method (FEM) and results of this comparison are the scope of this article.

Analysis of pile bearing capacity is an important task in the investigation of soil-structure interaction. The paper is dedicated to the prediction methods for the pile bearing capacity calculation based on the cone penetration test (CPTu) results, namely UniCone method, Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées method (LCPC), and the method involved in the Eurocode 7—2. A set of CFA piles was tested to obtain reference bearing capacity. The ability of the prediction methods to determine the bearing capacity of the pile was investigated. In each evaluation criteria using statistical tools, the methods were ranked based on their performance. The results of the study indicate that the UniCone method is most applicable for the given conditions. The EC 7—2 method showed the largest variability of results, and we do not recommend its application without a deeper analysis. The applicability of any presented method cannot be considered final or universal. It is advisable to use more modern and updated methods which have been developed from a larger database of pile tests. The development of these methods should continue by expanding the database of tested piles together with the application of more advanced rock environment testing procedures.

Dynamic compaction is a soil improvement technique which involves the repeated application of an impact load to a contact area of the soil surface induced by heavy weights. Experimental measurements were prepared for evaluation of the ground wave propagation induced by the rapid impact compaction. Influence of increase of subsoil stiffness during compaction and terrain configuration were investigated. When the shear strength of soil is exceeded during the penetration of the compaction footing, increase of peak particle velocities is slower but still clearly visible along the measurement line. The peak particle velocity is damped by the subsoil below 5 mm s⁻¹ within 40–50 m from the source of excitation. Attenuation radius is affected by the terrain configuration, when terrain elevations cause the increase of acceleration amplitudes. Rigid bodies in the ground, such as foundation structures, could have similar influence. Dominant frequencies are in the interval from 20 to 40 Hz regardless the distance from the source of excitation or the density of the treated subsoil. Obtained results are preferably related to the given boundary conditions. However, wave propagation pattern and change of its characteristics during densification of the subsoil are applicable at another construction sites considering their particularities.

Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) is a quick survey in situ method through which soil parameters are not determined directly, but have to be estimated using derived relations between required soil parameter and soil resistance at the testing probe. Boundary conditions affect the reliability of the estimated soil parameters, therefore controlled laboratory conditions were applied to the intended CPT procedure analysis. Density, pycnometry, oedometer and direct shear tests of kinetic sand were performed to prove its usability as a reference testing material for further CPT laboratory analysis. The results of testing the kinetic sand are presented in this paper. Executed tests proved the kinetic sand as a reliable material in terms of the homogeneity and consistency of its physical and mechanical parameters. The material is utilizable as a substitution of cohesive sandy soils in physical modeling without the negative impact of the consistency-dependent behavior of fine-grained soils. However, some differences in parameters with respect to the natural soils should be taken into account. Neural network theory and numerical approach will be applied to the intended CPT laboratory analysis under controlled boundary conditions using kinetic sand to evaluate its potential for the determination of soil parameters.

A large amount of the local and first-class road infrastructures in Central Europe lead through settled areas, such as villages or even historical cities and town centers. The vibrations generated by passing vehicles around the pavement spread to the subgrade to the environment and also affect civil engineering structures and buildings. We have decided to adopt the approach of small-scale modeling of the pavement with the subgrade. Small-scale physical modeling brings benefits, such as size reduction, simplification, or controlled conditions during the test. To study the effect of static and dynamic behavior during the occurrence, a simulation mass physical model is used for testing. A static plate load test is used to determine the bearing capacity and settlement and consistency of measurement of the plate’s vertical movement at a given load acting on the plate. The aim of the mass surface simulation’s dynamic testing was to measure the response in time acceleration forms. Based on the performed experimental measurements undertaken on the physical model as well as the numerical simulation performed in FEM, we can state that the gelatin-based simulation mass is usable for the simulation of the earth environment in contact with building structures.