ºÚÁÏÉç

ROBOCONE is a multi-institutional research project between the University of Bristol, the ºÚÁÏÉç and Trinity college Dublin, funded by and , to create a new site investigation tool for intelligent ground characterisation.

Investigators: 

University of Bristol:

• (PI)
• (Co-I)
• (Co-I)
• (Co-I)

ºÚÁÏÉç:

• Prof David White (PI)
• Prof Susan Gourvenec (Co-I)
• Dr Benjamin Cerfontaine (Co-I)

Trinity College Dublin:

University Western Australia

• - Visiting researcher

Industrial Partners:

Academic advisory board:

• (University of Western Australia)
• (Universita di Bologna)
• (University of California, Davis)

ROBOCONE will break free from the kinematic constraints of conventional site investigation tools - such as the very widespread cone penetration test (CPT).

The ROBOCONE device will feature three modular sections that are actuated after the device is installed into the ground, and apply kinematic mechanisms and strain histories to the ground that closely mimic stress paths around foundations (Fig. 1a):

• horizontal movements resembling p-y soil response;
• vertical movements resembling Ï„rz-z soil response;
• torsional movement resembling Ï„rθ-θ soil response.

The device development will be combined with new theoretical approaches to interpret ROBOCONE’s data to provide objective and reliable geotechnical parameters, ready for use in whole-life design.

Figure 1. ROBOCONE's device and smart testing

The concept design of ROBOCONE was presented at CPT’22 in Bologna. 

The and the poster accompanying the paper can be seen below.