The Plate Load Test involves applying a static load to a steel plate placed at the foundation level and measuring the corresponding settlement.
From your generated chart and data table, you can determine two critical metrics: Ultimate Bearing Capacity (
| Load (kN) | Settlement (mm) | | --- | --- | | 0 | 0 | | 50 | 1.2 | | 100 | 2.5 | | 150 | 4.1 |
): Calculating the safe working load by applying an appropriate Factor of Safety (typically 2.5 to 3.0). Modulus of Subgrade Reaction (
Soil behavior varies dramatically depending on whether it is cohesive (clay) or cohesionless (sand). Your Excel workbook should include conditional formulas to extrapolate plate settlement ( ) to actual foundation settlement ( For Cohesive Soils (Clay): plate load test report xls work
Average of all dial gauge readings for a specific load. Bearing Pressure:
Comprehensive Guide to Plate Load Test Reports and Excel Workflows
Highlight the calculated column and the Average Settlement column.
: The Structural Engineers Facebook Group occasionally shares geotechnical design suites that include PLT calculation modules. Critical Report Data Points The Plate Load Test involves applying a static
| Sheet 2: Test Setup | | | | --- | --- | --- | | Plate Size (mm) | | | | Plate Thickness (mm) | | | | Loading Device | | | | Settlement Measurement Device | | |
The core of your analysis involves averaging the readings from two or three dial gauges and verifying their consistency.
= Gross_Force / (PI() * (Plate_Diameter_Meters^2) / 4) C. Average Settlement Calculation
Ultimate bearing capacity, allowable bearing capacity (applying the required factor of safety), and modulus of subgrade reaction ( Your Excel workbook should include conditional formulas to
Use Excel's Data Validation tools on the raw reading columns to prevent field engineers from entering negative numbers or text errors.
| Column A | Column B | Column C | |----------|----------|----------| | | Settlement (mm) | Settlement (mm) - corrected |
For laboratories and engineering firms processing dozens of tests daily, advanced automation can dramatically reduce manual work and errors.
The stress distributed to the soil is the applied force divided by the area of the testing plate: