Geotechnical Characterization for Seismic

Design: Standard Penetration Testing and

Shear Wave Velocity Profiles
Brady R. Cox, Ph.D., P.E.
The University of Arkansas
Department of Civil Engineering
Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering for Seismic Design Workshop,
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, November 18-19, 2010

Geotechnical Investigation: Standard Objectives

Determine the depth and thickness of soil layers (including depth
to bedrock if possible)
Determine the location of the ground water table
Obtain soil samples for testing
Most common
method used
around the world
is the Standard
Penetration Test
(SPT)

McCarthy

Standard Penetration Test (SPT): Equipment

Drill Rig

Coduto (2001)

Split-spoon
S
lit
Sampler

Coduto (2001)

5 cm OD
3.5 cm ID

SPT: Procedure
Drill to the desired depth
Drop a 63.5 kg mass on top of the
drill rod from a height of 0.75 m
Count the number of hammer
blows to drive the split-spoon
sampler 3 separate 15 cm intervals
Sum of blows over the last 2
increments (i.e. the last 30 cm) is
the blow count or N-value

C d t (2001)
Coduto

Stop if > 50 blows are needed for any 15 cm increment (refusal)

Remove the split
split-spoon
spoon and retrieve soil sample for characterization
Repeat the test at desired depth interval (typically every 1 1.5 m)

SPT: Example Boring Log

N = 11
N = 17

N = 16
N = 11

SPT: Example N-values

In-Situ Shear Wave Velocity (Vs) Measurements

Earthquake damage is considered to be caused
primarily by vertically propagating shear waves
The velocity at which these shear waves travel
through a given material (i.e.
(i e rock vs.
vs soil)
strongly influences the response of the material
because Vs is directly related to shear modulus
Therefore, a very important part of
Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering is
dynamic site characterization to obtain in-situ
measurements of Vs

Seismic Investigation: Additional Objectives

Obtain a shear wave velocity
(Vs) profile to a depth of at least
30 m

Shear Wave Velocity (m/s)

0

200

300

400

500

600
0

10

Vs reflects the shear modulus

(G) of the soil according to:
G = *Vs2

50

Deepth (ft)

20

30

100

Vs = Vs30 = 325 m/s

40
150
50

Vs profile also needed for more

advanced ground motion
prediction via site response
analysis

200
0

400

800

1200

1600

Shear Wave Velocity (ft/sec)

60
2000

Depth ((m)

Vs used to obtain simplified

p
Seismic Site Classification via
the average shear wave velocity
over the top 30m (Vs30 or Vs)

100

In-Situ Shear Wave Velocity (Vs) Measurements

Intrusive (Borehole Methods)
C
Crosshole
h l
Downhole
Suspension
S
i Logging
L
i

Non-intrusive
Non intr si e (Surface
(S rface Wave
Wa e Methods)
Spectral Analysis of Surface Waves (SASW)
Multi-channel
Multi channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW)
Refraction Microtremor (ReMi)

Crosshole: Setup and Equipment

Horizontal (H1)
Geophone
H i t l (H2)
Horizontal
Geophone
Vertical (V)
Geophone

Receiver
Case

3D Receiver

Crosshole Hammer

Crosshole: Shear Wave Records

2
Downward Impact
Upward Impact

Noormalized Maagnitude

Ti
Trigger

0
Vertical Receiver
in One Borehole

-2
Vertical Receiver
in Second Borehole

-4

Denotes Arrival Time

-6
-0.002

0.000

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

Time, sec

Vs = d / t = m/s

0.010

Crosshole: Vs Profile
0

Meassurement Depth, ft

50

Thin
Limestone
Layer (?)

100

150

Site 2 Boreholes
41C-41A Crosshole
41C-41B Crosshole

200
0

2000

4000

6000

SV-Wave Velocity, fps

8000

10000

Downhole: Setup and Equipment

Borehole BH-4

BHG-3
Borehole Receiver

Downhole: Setup and Equipment

Shear Wave
Traction Plank
Instrumented
Sledgehammer

BHG-3
Control Box
Laptop
Dynamic
Signall Analyzer
Si
A l

Downhole: Travel Time vs. Depth

Downhole: Vs Profile

Suspension Logging: Setup and Waveforms

7-Conductor cable
OYO PS-160
Logger/Recorder

Cable Head

Diskette
with Data

Head Reducer
Winch

Upper Geophone

Lower Geophone

Filter Tube

Source

Source Driver

Weight
Overall Length ~ 25 ft

Courtesy of GeoVision

Depth Sequential Waveform Arrivals

Surface Wave Methods

Vertically Oriented Source
(Impact, Random, or SteadyState Vibration)
d

Receiver 1

Receiver 2

SASW Setup

Vertically Oriented Velocity Transducers

Layer 1
Layer 2
Multi-Layered Solid

MASW Setup

SASW Equipment

Dynamic Signal Analyzer

Geophones and Sledgehammer

MASW Equipment

12 60 Geophones

Sledge Hammer & Drop Weight Sources

Vibroseis Source

Surface Wave Dispersion

Low frequency
surface waves have
long wavelengths
(), while high
frequency waves
have short
wavelengths

Air
Layer
Layer11

Vertical
Particle Motion
1

Vertical
Particle Motion
2

Layer22
Layer

Layer 3
Layer

Waves with
W
ih
different
frequencies/
q
wavelengths sample
different depths

a. Material
Profile

Depth
Depth
c. Longer
b. Shorter
Wavelength, 2
Wavelength, 1

Surface wave velocity (Vr) is close to shear wave velocity (Vs):

Vs ~ 1.1*Vr

Example SASW Dispersion Curve

Wavelength (m)
1

5000

10

100

1000

Experimental Disp. Curve

ReceiverSpacings=5,10,20,25,
40,50,150,300,450,and600ft.

1200

3000
800
2000
400
1000

0
1

10

100

Wavelength (ft)

1000

0
10000

Phase V
Velocity (m//sec)

Phase V
Velocity (ft/s
sec)

4000

Inversion to Obtain Vs Profile

Wavelength (m)
1

5000

10

100

1000

Experimental Disp. Curve

Theoretical Disp.Curve

1200

3000
800
2000
400

Phase V
Velocity (m/sec
c)

Shear Wave Velocity (ft/sec)

0

1000

2000

4000

6000

8000
0

200
100
1

10

100

Wavelength (ft)

1000

0
10000

400

600
200
800

max/2

1000

1200
0

500

1000

1500

2000

Shear Wave Velocity (m/sec)

300

Depth (m)

Depth (ft)
D

Phase Velocity (ft/sec

c)

4000

Seismic Site Classification

Required by Seismic Provisions in Building Codes

IBC (2009)

ASCE 7-05

IBC & ASCE Codes Seismic Site Classification

Site Class: A - F

Vs

Su

> 1,500
1 500 m/s
760 1,500 m/s
360 760 m/s
180 360 m/s
/
< 180 m/s

ASCE 7-05

Vs is
i preferred
f
d because
b
it is
i directly
di tl related
l t d to
t the
th
shear stiffness of the soil deposit (G = Vs2)

Preview Importance of Seismic Site Classification

IBC and ASCE Code Design Response Spectra
Little Rock, Arkansas

Soft Soil ((Site Class E))

Horizontal Earthquake Force
70% of the Structure Weight
AR
Hard Rock (Site Class A)
Horizontal Earthquake Force
25% of the Structure Weight

0.2-sec
(~ 2-story building)

Seismic Site Classification via Vs (i.e. Vs30)

ASCE 7-05

Example Sites
Shear Wave Velocity (m/s)

Shear Wave Velocity (m/s)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

100

200

300

400

20

20

10

10

400

Depth (ft)

60

15
60
20

20

80

25

100

Vs = Vs30 = 1015 m/s

0

2000

4000

6000

Shear Wave Velocity (ft/sec)

Site Class B

30

8000

80

25

100

Vs = Vs30 = 250 m/s

0

400

800

1200

Shear Wave Velocity (ft/sec)

Site Class D

30

1600

Depth (m)

15

Depth (m)

Depth (ft)

40

Seismic Site Classification via N

ASCE 7-05

Seismic site classification via blow count (N) is

possible, but classification via Vs is preferred
because Vs is a material property that strongly
influences ground motions

Questions?