Pressuremeter test features

The pressuremeter (Menard) test inflates a cylindrical probe inside a borehole and measures the radial pressure against the volume change. It is distinctive because:

• It loads the soil horizontally and in a large volume, giving a true in-situ stress-strain curve (not just a single index like SPT $N$).
• It gives the modulus ($E_p$), limit pressure ($p_l$) and yield (creep) pressure directly, which are used in a design method for bearing capacity and settlement (Menard's method).
• It can be used at any depth, in all soils from soft clay to weak rock, with little disturbance when the probe is placed in a pre-bored or self-boring hole.
• The test is done under controlled stress/strain increments, so the result is rational and repeatable, unlike the dynamic, empirical tests.