Assessment of settlement prediction by theoretical and semi-empirical methods in a granular soil profile in the Brazilian Northeast

The direct study investigates settlements from a circular load test with a diameter of 50 cm, conducted at the Experimental Field of Geotechnics and Foundations of the Federal University of Ceará. The study utilizes data from laboratory and field tests to determine parameters, employing both the classical methodology of Elasticity Theory and semi-empirical methods such as those by Décourt (1992), Schmertmann (1978), Barata (1984), Burland & Burbidge (1985), Meyerhof (1965), and Sandroni (1991). Laboratory tests included physical characterization, direct shear tests, triaxial tests, and Standard Penetration Tests (SPT). The direct load test conducted according to NBR 6489/19 standard served as a reference for comparing calculation methods. Comparative analysis using the least squares method indicates that the methods of Schmertmann (1978) and Sandroni (1991) yielded results closer to the direct load test, whereas the methods of Burland & Burbidge (1985), Barata (1984), and Meyerhof (1965) showed greater variation.