Modelling of Loads on Wedge Indenter Penetrating into Soil

Abstract

The mathematical model for load on wedge indenter to penetrate into soil has been developed. The passive earth pressure based on Sokolovski's analysis has been used to formulate the model. Two wedge indenters of angles 20° and 75° were allowed to penetrate into two types of soil with incremental loads at the same condition. The strength parameters c and 4 of the soil at the above conditions were determined by both the Triaxial compression and the direct shear test. Then the loads on the two indenters for those c and were predicted. The accuracy of the predicted indenter load for a given penetration depth was found to be good for both the indenters. The prediction for the values obtained from Triaxial test was found more close to the actual than that for the values obtained from the direct shear test. It appears that the model to predict the performance of the indenters may be used to describe the performance of the agricultural machine element.