UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CORDOBA

MEASUREMENT OF Vp AND Vs
LABORATORY TESTING

Victor A. Rinaldi
Civil Engineering Department, National University of Cordoba, Argentina
 STRESS - STRAIN TEST
σy σy Et

Emax

σymax/2
E50 Es

εy εy
Machine
Retaining Walls
Foundations

Foundations Explosions

Tunels
Modulus

RC and Torsional Earthquakes

Shear Test
Plate Load Test

Wave Triaxial
Velocity Oedometer
With LDT Triaxial

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1
10 10 10 10 10 10
Strain Level
STRESS - STRAIN TEST
 BENDER ELEMENT TEST (SS)
LABORATORY: Shear Wave Velocity
A

Silicona Resina
Piedra Porosa Epoxi

Pintura
Drenajes Plata

Aluminio
Cable
Coaxial
Piezocristal

Details of Mounting
Excitación
Amplitud

Typical
Result Arribo de la Respuesta
onda de Corte

-1.E-04 1.E-04 3.E-04 5.E-04 7.E-04

Tiempo [seg]
 BENDER ELEMENT TEST (SS)
Measuring Setup
Signal
LVDT generator
Amplifier
Oscilloscope

Isotropic
cell
Sample
Pressure panel
control

Amplifier and PC
filter

Bender element
covered with epoxi
Porous stone
resin and silver paint

Bottom cap
Drainage port Isotropic cell
base

Coaxial cable
 BENDER ELEMENT TEST (SS)
Measuring Setup
MAIN DIFICULTIES:
1. Selection of arrival time
2. Cross talking
3. Near Field Effects
4. Frequency effect (Lab = 1 – 3 kHz; Field: 10 – 300 Hz)

SOLUTIONS:
1. Use resonance interpretation, signal cross-correlations…..
2. Shielding of wires and BE
3. Test larger samples
4. Correct if necessary to compare with field test
LOESS STIFFNESS MEDIUM STRAIN LEVEL
RESONANT COLUMN DEVICE
LOESS STIFFNESS MEDIUM STRAIN LEVEL
RESONANT COLUMN DEVICE
1.0
sconf = 0 kPa
0.8 sconf = 23 kPa
sconf = 50 kPa
sconf = 100 kPa

G/G max
0.6
sconf = 201 kPa
sconf = 365 kPa
0.4

0.2 Sample M3
w% = 30.6 c)
0.0
0.01 0.1 1 10
g [10-4]
1.0

0.8
G/Gmax
0.6
sconf = 0 kPa
sconf = 23 kPa
0.4 sconf = 50 kPa
sconf = 100 kPa
0.2 sconf = 201 kPa Sample M4
sconf = 307 kPa w% = 46.1(Saturated) d)
0.0
0.01 0.1 1 10
g [10 ]
-4

Juan Claria (Ph.D.)

 RESONANT COLUMN
Resonant Mode

I t L t L
 tan
Io Vs Vs

Kim (1991)
RESONANT COLUMN
Free Vibration Decay

Kim (1990)
RESONANT COLUMN
Torsional Mode

Kim (1990)
 LIMITATIONS OF RC TESTING

MAIN LIMITATIONS
Muestra
de Suelo

• Strain levels attained (significant limitations

in cemented soils).
• Shear strain distribution
• Cap contact effect.
• Saturation of specimens is limited.
• Overcoming flexural moments (good quality
samples).
• No control of pore pressure.
• Recent studies proposed the inclusion of BE.
 SIMPLE SHEAR

a) NGI, b) Cambridge
Prevost y Hoeg (1976)
 CYCLIC SIMPLE SHEAR

Seed y Peacock, (1971) Finn et al. (1971)

SHAKING TABLE

DeAlba et al. (1976)

SHAKING TABLE
TESTING APPARATUS: TXA
a
a () b s’1
TC 0 0
TE 90 1

Elastic Stress-Strain

Elastic Properties Can be Defined

E ´
 ´ Eh´
v vh
(1   hh
´
)
Other Parameters Require Vertical
and horizontal BE

Limitation: Contact effects,

Localization, limited strains
TRIAXIAL TEST
Testing Device LDT: Proximeters

Politecnico de Torino Lopresti (1994)

TRIAXIAL TEST
Transducers
TRIAXIAL TEST
Testing Device LDT: LVDTs

Ecole Nationale
des Travaux
Public de l’Etat
Di Benedetto et
al., (1996)
TRIAXIAL TEST
Testing Device LDT: Strain Gages

Univ. de Tokio Tatsuoka et al. (1996)

TRIAXIAL TEST
Testing Device LDT: Strain Gages

Goto (1986)
 TRIAXIAL TEST
Testing Device LDT: Inclinometers-LDT

Imperial
College,
Kuwano
(1997)
TRIAXIAL TEST
Stress Path

Seed y Peacock, (1971)

TRIAXIAL TEST
Stiffness and Damping

Sedd e Idriss (1971)

TORSIONAL SHEAR TEST
Large Strain Testing

Iwasaki et al., (1978)

LARGE STRAIN STIFFNESS
LABORATORY TRIAXIAL TEST (LDTs)

Triaxial Test
with LDT
Julio Capdevila (Ph.D.)
 LARGE STRAIN STIFFNESS
LABORATORY TRIAXIAL TEST (LDTs)

Cabezal

a.H/2 Zona Suelta Sample

LDT Axial

Zona
H (1-a).H
Densa LDT
Radial

a.H/2 Zona Suelta

Cabezal

Edense
E prom 
a. X  (1  a )
STRESS - STRAIN BEHAVIOUR

STRESS-STRAIN RELATIONSHIP (LDT)

25

Deviatoric Stress [kPa]

20

15

10

5
LVDT
LDT (average)
0
0.00E+00 2.00E-02 4.00E-02 6.00E-02

Vertical Strain
 STRESS STRAIN BEHAVIOUR

EFFECT OF HETEROGENEITIES

140

120
Deviatoric Stress [Kpa]

100

80

60

40
LVDT
LDT 1
20
LDT 2

0
0.E+00 2.E-03 4.E-03 6.E-03 8.E-03 1.E-02
Vertical Strain
TRIAXIAL TEST
CAP EFFECT
 SHEAR STRENGTH
EFFECT OF CEMENTATION ON CRITICAL STATE PARAMETERS

s’3 = 250 kPa Cemented Dense s’3 = 400 kPa Cemented Loose
 SHEAR STRENGTH
EFFECT OF CEMENTATION ON CRITICAL STATE PARAMETERS

s’3 = 400 kPa Uncemented Loose s’3 = 400 kPa uncemented Medium Dense
 TESTING APPARATUS: TXA-BE
BE Results are
affected by:
Kuwano (2007)
•Specimen Size

•Specimen Shape
Boundary Conditions

•Wave Shape and

Frequency

•Grain Size

•Data Processing
(filtering)
1 ni  n j
Gij  Si , j f (e)OCR k po (s i' ) ni (s 'j ) j
n

 
Inherent Stress Induced

Usually Assumed : ni  n j
 TESTING APPARATUS: TTA
True Triaxial at UNC

Advantages:
Full control of
s1, s2, and s3

Limitations:
No full control of a
 TTA: Large Strains
Loess - Isotropic Stress Condition
Covassi (2010)

0,00 0,00

eX
0,25 0,25

0,50 0,50
eY
0,75 eY 0,75
eZ
e [%]

1,00

e [%]
1,00
1,25
1,25
eZ 1,50
1,50
1,75 eX
1,75
2,00
2,00 2,25
1 10 100 1000 1 10 100 1000
s [kPa] s [kPa]

Remolded Sample Undisturbed Sample

gd = 1.36 g/cm3 gd = 1.50 g/cm3
% = 35 % % = 22 %
 TESTING APPARATUS: HCA
W sz
MT
tzq
q pi sq
po tqz
sr

r s1
a
s3
a

s2
z Advantages:
Full control of
s1, s2, s3 and a
LDT Jardine et al. 2004, and RCT (Frost and Drnevich, Back Pressure
1994) can be introduced ko consolidation
D and U Stress
Path
FIELD AND LABORATORY STIFNESS

G G max

Field Test

Laboratory Test

Sample disturbance: Microcracks, decementation,

effect of unloading on particle contacts, cap
effect……..?
 STRESS - STRAIN BEHAVIOUR
SOME MECHANISM THA PRODUCE MOST FIELD AND LAB DIFFERENCES

•Sampling Procedure.

•Ageing and thixotropy. (thermal changes, evaporation, and exposure

to the atmosphere during sampling, oxidation, acidification, carbonation
(CO2), and ion diffusion in adsorbed layers).

•Biased specimen selection: (spatial variability)

•Boundary conditions – bedding: Cap effect.

•Heterogeneous deformation field

•Stress history, stress path, and stress anisotropy

•Biases in wave-based measurements

•Frequency and strain rate effects

 SMALL STRAIN STIFFNESS
EFFECT OF SAMPLING - SANDS

3.0 Sand; Stokoe's Results - from Stokoe and Santamarina (2000)

Alluvial Reclaimed Sandy Soil; Yasuda and Yamaguchi - from Tokimatsu and Uchida (1990)
Fine Sand; Yosimi et al. (1989)
Dilluvial Sandy Soil; Yasuda and Yamaguchi - from Tokimatsu and Uchida (1990)
2.5 Sengenyama Sand; Shibuya et al (1996)
Ticino Sand; Ghionna - from Crova et al. (1992)

2.0
V lab / V f

1.5 Measurement
error

1.0

0.5

(a) Sandy Soils

0.0
0 200 400 600 800 1000
V f [m/s]
 SMALL STRAIN STIFFNESS
EFFECT OF SAMPLING - CLAYS

3.0 Loess, Argentina - Rinaldi et al. (1999) Weathered Granite - Tatsuoka and Shibuya (1991)
Mudstone - Tatsuoka and Shibuya (1991) Mudstone - Tatsuoka et al. (1993)
Mudstone - Tatsuoka et al. (1993) Mustone - Tatsuoka et al. (1993)
Holocene Clay - Shibuya et al (1996) Holocene Clay - Ohneda et al. (*)
2.5 Pleistocene Clay - Mukabi et al. (1994) Pleistocene Clay - Mukabi et al. (1994)
Carbonated Clay - Burghinoli (1991) Pleistocene Clay - Ohneda (*)
Mexico City Soils - Diaz Rodriguez et al. (1999) (*) from Tatsuoka and Shibuya (1991)
2.0
V lab / V f

1.5 Measurement
error

1.0

0.5

(b) Clayey Soils

0.0
0 200 400 600 800 1000
V f [m/s]
 SOIL STIFFNESS (SS)
IN-SITU WAVE VELOCITY (DH Tests)

1200
SHEAR WAVE VELOCITY (m/s)

0.23
Vs = 135.58 s DH1
1000 DH2 Correlation with SPT
DH3
800 DH4 V s = 180.6 N 0.234
600

400 Correlation with CPT

200 0.28
Vs = 370 q c
0
0 50 100 150 200
MEAN CONFINING STRESS (kPa)

Notice significant dispersion of data

 FIELD AND LABORATORY
Small Strain
Argentinean Loess-Experimental Program

In-Situ Testing Dry Unit

Depth
Sample w% w% Weight
(m) UCS
(%) (%) [kN/m3]

L1 1,00 ML 19,9 20,6 14,0

L2 2,00 ML 24,3 19,5 14,3
L3 3,00 ML 15,0 14,3 12,7
L4 4,00 ML 20,1 21,7 12,5
L5 5,00 ML 18,1 15,8 12,5
L6 6,00 ML 15,1 14,0 12,3
SMALL STRAIN STIFFNESS
σv'

LABORATORY TYPICAL RESULT

σv'
250,00

σY'
200,00

Shear Wave Velocity (m/s)

150,00

100,00

50,00

0,00
0,00 0,50 1,00 1,50 2,00 2,50
Vertical Stress (kg/cm2)

Undisturbed Specimen 1 m depth

 SMALL STRAIN STIFFNESS
FIELD TEST
Cross-hole
Wave Velocity [m/s]
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
0
Osciloscope
Amplifiier
PC Vs Vp
-1

-2

Depth (m)
-3

Trigger Geophone 1 Geophone 2

Source
-4

-5

-6

-7
 SMALL STRAIN STIFFNESS
COMPARISON FIELD-LAB
Same Confinning pressures
400
Not
350 representative
2m sample
V Lab (m/s)

300
4m 3m 6m
250
5m
200 Stiff layer in the
1m
field, close
150 beneath the layer
sampled
100
100 150 200 250 300 350 400
V Field (m/s)

Key: Spatial Distribution of Heterogeneities

 CONCLUSSIONS
• A good number of qualitative test are available to detect cementation
in soils. The sieve analysis proposed here seems to be very simple
and meaningful.
• Field tests to evaluate small strain stiffness should be considered in
all geotechnical investigations to check sample disturbance.
• Experience in the interpretation of BE test is required. The simplicity
of the test make it a good alternative to evaluate small strain
modulus.
• Resonant column device yield good result at small and medium
strain levels if experimental considerations described here are taken
into account.
• Triaxial test using LDT is recommended when testing cemented and
non cemented soils to evaluate stiffness. Careful interpretation is
required at large strain levels if localization take place.
• Geophysical tools show promising results for the characterization of
the site and deserve further research to produce useful results.