Practical transitions among undrained shear strengths of remolded samples from pocket penetrometer tests and other laboratory tests

•Applicability of PP tests to measure the Su of cohesive soils were investigated.•The accurate transitions between PP tests and other tests were examined.•The closest relationship was obtained between PP-FC and PP-LV tests.•The most distant relationship was attained between the PP and the UC tests. In recent years, the pocket penetrometer (PP) test has been used to assess strengths of cohesive soils and has gained attention due to its simplicity, low cost and high speed. Therefore, an interpretation of undrained shear strength (Su) of remolded finer soils from PP tests needs a unified methodology so that transitions among other laboratory tests could be evaluated in consistent manners. The aim of this pioneer extensive study is to fill the lack of precise correlations on Su in literature among various laboratory tests, i.e. (i) pocket penetrometer (PP) test, (ii) unconfined compressive (UC) test, (iii) fall cone (FC) test, (iv) laboratory Vane (LV) test, and (v) unconsolidated-undrained (UU) on the remolded samples through the use of index test results such as liquidity index (LI). For that purpose, 293 remolded samples were prepared at a given water content (w) and energy level to assess the accurate transitions and lack of precise correlations in literature between PP tests and other tests. The derived equations with their viability would be used to estimate the undrained strength of remolded clays encountered in field for practical purpose. It is determined that Su-PP test results are statistically compatible with other tests.