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

5 cm OD
3.5 cm ID
Coduto (2001)
 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 Shear Wave Velocity (m/s)

(Vs) profile to a depth of at least 0

0 100 200 300 400 500 600
0
30 m
10
• Vs reflects the shear modulus
50
(G) of the soil according to:
G = *Vs2
20

Depth ((m)
Deepth (ft)
• Vs used to obtain simplified
p 100 30

Seismic Site Classification via Vs = Vs30 = 325 m/s

40
the average shear wave velocity
150
over the top 30m (Vs30 or Vs)
50

• Vs profile also needed for more

advanced ground motion 200
0 400 800 1200 1600
60
2000
prediction via site response Shear Wave Velocity (ft/sec)

analysis
In-Situ Shear Wave Velocity (Vs) Measurements

• Intrusive (Borehole Methods)

–CCrosshole
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

Ti
Trigger
0
Noormalized Maagnitude

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 0.010
Time, sec

t Vs = d / t = m/s
 Crosshole: Vs Profile
0

50

Thin
Limestone
Layer (?)
Meassurement Depth, ft

100

150

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

200
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000

SV-Wave Velocity, fps

Downhole: Setup and Equipment

Borehole BH-4 BHG-3

Borehole Receiver
 Downhole: Setup and Equipment

Shear Wave
Traction Plank BHG-3
Control Box
Instrumented
Sledgehammer 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
Head Reducer with Data
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 Steady-
State Vibration) Receiver 1 Receiver 2
d d 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
Vertical Vertical
surface waves have Air Particle Motion Particle Motion
long wavelengths 1
Layer
Layer11
(), while high 2
frequency waves
Layer22
Layer
have short
wavelengths
Layer 3
Layer
Depth Depth
Waves with
W ih
a. Material b. Shorter c. Longer
different Profile Wavelength,  1 Wavelength,  2
frequencies/
q
wavelengths sample
different depths

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

Vs ~ 1.1*Vr
 Example SASW Dispersion Curve
Wavelength (m)
1 10 100 1000
5000
Experimental Disp. Curve

Receiver Spacings = 5, 10, 20, 25, 
4000
40, 50, 150, 300, 450, and 600 ft. 1200

Velocity (m//sec)
sec)
Velocity (ft/s

3000
800
Phase V

Phase V
2000

400
1000

0 0
1 10 100 1000 10000
Wavelength (ft)
 Inversion to Obtain Vs Profile
Wavelength (m)
1 10 100 1000
5000
Experimental Disp. Curve
Theoretical Disp.Curve

4000 1200

c)
c)

Velocity (m/sec
Phase Velocity (ft/sec

3000
800
Shear Wave Velocity (ft/sec)
0 2000 4000 6000 8000

Phase V
2000
0 0

400
1000 200

100
0 0 400
1 10 100 1000 10000

Depth (m)
Depth (ft)
Wavelength (ft)
600
200

D
800

max/2
1000 300

1200
0 500 1000 1500 2000
Shear Wave Velocity (m/sec)
 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 N 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 0 100 200 300 400

0 0 0 0

5 5
20 20

10 10

40 400

Depth (m)
Depth (m)
15

Depth (ft)
15
Depth (ft)

60 60
20 20

80 80
25 25

100 30 100 30
Vs = Vs30 = 1015 m/s Vs = Vs30 = 250 m/s
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 0 400 800 1200 1600

Shear Wave Velocity (ft/sec) Shear Wave Velocity (ft/sec)

Site Class B Site Class D

 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?