Application of the menard pressuremeter test for the bearing capacity and settlement analysis: A case study at Kuloğlu Hydro-Electric Central (HEC) Regulator Site (Kars,Turkey) [Taşıma gücü ve oturma İncelemelerinde menard pressiyometre deneyinin uygulanması: Kuloğlu HES regülatörü yerinde Bir Örnek Çalışma (Kars,Türkiye)]

This paper deals with the short description of menard pressuremeter and the evaluation of menard pressuremeter tests carried out in two boreholes drilled at kuloğlu hydroelectric power plant (hpp) regulator which is one of the hpp projects planned at aşağı aras basin. 8 pressuremeter tests in sk-1 borehole and 12 pressuremeter tests in sk-2 borehole were carried out at alluvium unit in the foundation site. menard pressuremeter tests could not be carried out due to the collapsing and enlarging of the drillholes after 20 and 24 meter depths of boreholes. two group of settlement and bearing capacity analysis were performed with the assumption of alluvium made up of homogeneous and heterogeneous. immediate settlement computation and stress distribution analysis were also performed beside the pressuremeter analysis. the amount of settlement and bearing capacity of the alluvium are in acceptable limits in the depths of which the test could be applied. the stress from regulator load decreases to % 10 at a depth of greater than 48 m. due to the collapsing-enlarging of the boreholes after 20 and 24 m depths and the load-related stress increase acting greater depths,the excavation of the all alluvial soils is suggested. at the end of this study,the problems arisen from application of menard pressuremeter test for the hydraulic structures are outlined. © 2014,tmmob - jeoloji muhendisleri odasi. all rights reserved.