The pressuremeter for foundations : French experience

The paper presents historical information on the development of the pressuremeter and its application in the Laboratories Central des Ponts el Chaussees (LCPC). The continuous research effort of the LCPC has also resulted in a better understanding of the test, in a better evaluation of its capabilities and of its limits, and in an improvement of the design rules. Major improvements have occurred in the design of pile foundations; their presentation will form the core of this paper.