CHALLENGES IN INTERPRETING CPT FOR RIVER LEVEE MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION

River levees are man-made earthen structures built to prevent flooding, and their failure can result in catastrophic loss of life and economic damage. Despite being artificial, the properties of aging levees are often unknown, especially those constructed decades ago without records of their materials and construction history. Proper geophysical and geotechnical investigations are crucial for characterizing these earthen embankments.The cone penetration test (CPT) is one of the most widely used in-situ techniques for evaluating soil stratigraphy and parameters due to its availability, cost-effectiveness, spatial resolution, and extensive experience base. However, interpreting CPT data for levees is challenging because most of the available procedures were developed for natural, saturated soil deposits rather than the compacted, unsaturated materials found in levees - an aspect frequently overlooked.This paper critically examines the applicability of CPT for characterizing river levees through real case studies in Italy. Its aim is to guide practitioners and levee managers in properly utilizing CPT for levee assessments to ensure more reliable predictions of embankment vulnerability.