Evaluating the In Situ Lateral Stress Coefficient () of Soils via Paired Shear Wave Velocity Modes
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 5
Abstract
The utilization of shear wave velocities toward the evaluation of the in situ geostatic horizontal stress state in soils is validated, specifically the lateral stress coefficient . Field shear wave velocities from paired sets of different directional and polarization modes are compiled from 16 well-documented test sites involving a variety of geomaterials. Focus is particularly placed on shear wave velocities measured by downhole tests (), crosshole tests (), and special rotary-type crosshole tests (). At these sites, field stress states have been quantified using one or more direct assessment techniques, including self-boring pressuremeter, total stress cells, and hydrofracture in field testing, as well as suction measurements, special consolidometers, and/or triaxial arrangements on undisturbed samples in the laboratory. Although the specific delineation of stress-induced versus inherent or fabric anisotropy may be difficult, it is shown that the ratio of horizontally polarized to vertically polarized shear waves (i.e., either or ) can be used to provide an approximate assessment of in soils, especially if coupled with the age of the formation.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate the support provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, South Carolina.
References
Andrus, R. D., Mohanan, N. P., Piratheepan, P., Ellis, B. S., and Holzer, T. L. (2007). “Predicting shear-wave velocity from cone penetration resistance.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering, Springer, Dordrecht, Netherlands.
Baldi, G., Bruzzi, D., Superbo, S., Battaglio, M., and Jamiolkowski, M. (1988). “Seismic cone in Po River sand.” Penetration Testing 1988, Proc., ISOPT-1, Vol. 2, Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 643–650.
Bates, C. R., and Phillips, D. R. (2000). “Multi-component seismic surveying for near surface investigations: examples from central Wyoming and southern England.” J. Appl. Geophys., 44(3), 257–273.
Benoit, J., and Lutenegger, A. J. (1992). “Determining lateral stress in soft clays.” Predictive Soil Mechanics, Proc., Wroth Memorial Symp., Telford, London, 135–155.
Brooker, E. W., and Ireland, H. O. (1965). “Earth pressures at-rest related to stress history.” Can. Geotech. J., 2(1), 1–15.
Bruzzi, D., Ghionna, V., Jamiolkowski, M., Lancellotta, R., and Manfredini, G. (1985). “Self boring pressuremeter in Po River sand.” The Pressuremeter and Its Marine Applications, Proc., 2nd ISP, ASTM, West Conshohoken, PA, 57–74.
Butcher, A. P., and Powell, J. J. M. (1995). “The effect of geological history on the dynamic measurement of the stiffness of the ground.” Proc., 11th European Conf. Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 1, Danish Geotechnical Society, Copenhagen, Denmark, 27–36.
Butcher, A. P., and Powell, J. J. M. (1996). “Practical considerations for field geophysical techniques used to assess ground stiffness.” Proc., Int. Conf. on Advances in Site Investigation Practice, Institution of Civil Engineers, Telford, London, 701–714.
Butcher, A. P., and Powell, J. J. M. (1997). “Determining the modulus of the ground from in situ geophysical testing.” Proc., 14th Int. Conf. Soil Mech. and Foundation Eng., Vol. 1, Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 449–452.
Cai, G., Liu, S., Puppala, A. J., and Tong, L. (2011). “Assessment of the coefficient of lateral earth pressure at rest (K0) from in situ seismic tests.” ASTM Geotech. Test. J., 34(4), 1–11.
Clayton, C. R. I. (2011). “Stiffness at small strain: Research and practice: Rankine lecture.” Geotechnique, 61(1), 5–37.
Coop, M. R., and Wroth, C. P. (1989). “Field studies of an instrumented model pile in clay.” Geotechnique, 39(4), 679–696.
Cruz, I. R. (2009). “An evaluation of seismic flat dilatometer and lateral stress seismic piezocone.” M.S. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
DeGroot, D. J., and Lutenegger, A. J. (2003). “Geology and engineering properties of Connecticut Valley varved clay.” Characterization and engineering proprieties of natural soils, Vol. 1, Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 695–724.
Fioravante, V., Jamiolkowski, M., and LoPresti, D. C. F. (1998). “Assessment of the coefficient of earth pressure at rest from shear wave velocity.” Geotechnique, 48(5), 657–666.
Hamouche, K. K., Leroueil, S., Roy, M., and Lutenegger, A. J. (1995). “In situ evaluation of K0 in eastern Canada clays.” Can. Geotech. J., 32(4), 677–688.
Hatanaka, M., Uchida, A., and Taya, Y. (1999). “K0-value of in situ gravelly soils.” Proc., 11th Asian Regional Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 77–80.
Henke, R., and Henke, W. (2002). “In situ nonlinear inelastic shearing deformation characteristics of soil deposits inferred using the torsional cylindrical impulse shear test.” Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 92(5), 1970–1983.
Hight, D. W., McMillan, F., Powell, J. J. M., Jardine, R. J., and Allenou, C. P. (2003). “Some characteristics of London clay.” Characterization and engineering proprieties of natural soils, Vol. 2, Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 851–907.
Hiltunen, D. R., Griffin, L. M., and Woods, R. D. (2003). “Liquefaction evaluation of Vincent Thomas Bridge sites via crosshole seismic shear wave measurements.” Soil and Rock America 2003, Proc., 12th Pan American Conf. on Soil Mechanics & Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 1, Verlag-Gluckhauf, Essen, Germany, 253–260.
Hird, C. C., and Pierpoint, N. D. (1997). “Stiffness determination and deformation analysis for a trial excavation in Oxford Clay.” Geotechnique, 47(3), 665–691.
Hryciw, R. D., and Thomann, T. G. (1993). “Stress-history-based model for Gmax of cohesionless soils.” J. Geotech. Engrg., 119(7), 1073–1093.
Huntsman, S. R. (1985). “Determination of in-situ lateral pressure of cohesionless soils by static cone penetrometer.” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA.
Jaky, C. (1944). “The coefficient of earth pressure at-rest.” J. Soc. Hungarian Architects Eng., 78(22), 355–358.
Jovicic, V., and Coop, M. R. (1998). “The measurement of stiffness anisotropy in clays with bender element tests in the triaxial apparatus.” Geotech. Testing J., 21(1), 3–10.
Ku, T., Mayne, P. W., and Gutierrez, B. J. (2011). “Hierarchy of Vs modes and stress-dependency in geomaterials.” Proc., 5th Int. Symp. on Deformation Characteristics of Geomaterials, Vol. 1, Taylor & Francis, London, 533–540.
LoPresti, D. C. F., Jamiolkowski, M., and Pepe, M. (2003). “Geotechnical characterization of the subsoil of Pisa Tower.” Characterization and engineering proprieties of natural soils, Vol. 2, Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 909–946.
Lunne, T., and Mayne, P. W. (1998). “Offshore in-situ testing to determine horizontal stress.” NGI Rep. 521552-1, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway.
Mayne, P. W. (2005). “Integrated ground behavior: in-situ and lab tests.” Proc., IS Lyon '03, Deformation characteristics of geomaterials, Vol. 2, Taylor & Francis, London, 155–177.
Mayne, P. W. (2007). “In-situ test calibrations for evaluation soil parameters.” Characterization and engineering property of natural soils, Vol. 3, Taylor & Francis, London, 1602–1652.
Mayne, P. W., and Kulhawy, F. H. (1982). “K0-OCR relationships in soils.” J. Geotech. Engrg. Div., 108(GT6), 851–872.
Mayne, P. W., and Kulhawy, F. H. (1990). “Direct and indirect measurements of in-situ K0 in clays.” Transportation Research Record 1278, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC, 141–149.
Mitachi, T., and Kitago, S. (1976). “Change in undrained shear strength characteristics of saturated remolded clay due to swelling.” Soils Found., 16(1), 45–58.
Nash, D. F. T., Powell, J. J. M., and Lloyd, I. M. (1992). “Initial investigations of the soft clay test site at Bothkennar.” Geotechnique, 42(2), 163–181.
Pass, D. G. (1994). “Soil characterization of the deep accelerometer Treasure Island, San Francisco, California.” M.S. thesis, Dept. Civil Engineering, Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH.
Powell, J. J. M. (1990). “A comparison of four different pressuremeters and their methods of interpretation in a stiff heavily overconsolidated clay.” Pressuremeters, Proc., ISP 3, Telford, London, 287–298.
Powell, J. J. M., and Butcher, A. P. (2003). “Characterisation of a glacial clay till at Cowden, Humberside.” Characterization and engineering properties of natural soils, Vol. 2, Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 983–1020.
Pruska, L. (1973). “Effect of initial stress on the stress–strain relation.” Proc., 8th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 4, Russian Society For Soil Mechanics, Moscow, 26–28.
Ridley, A. M., and Burland, J. B. (1993). “A new instrument for the measurement of soil moisture suction.” Geotechnique, 43(2), 321–324.
Roesler, S. (1979). “Anisotropic shear modulus due to stress anisotropy.” J. Geotech. Engrg. Div., 105(GT7), 871–880.
Santamarina, J. C., Klein, K. A., and Fam, M. A. (2001). Soils and waves: Particular materials behavior, characterization and process monitoring, Wiley, New York.
Schmertman, J. H. (1978). “Guidelines for cone penetration test performance and design.” Rep. No. FHWA-TS-78-209, Federal Highway Administration,Washington, DC.
Shibuya, S., Hwang, S. C., and Mitachi, T. (1997). “Elastic shear modulus of soft clays from shear wave velocity measurement.” Geotechnique, 47(3), 593–601.
Shibuya, S., Mitachi, T., Yamashita, S., and Tanaka, H. (1995). “Effects of sample disturbance on Gmax of soils: A case study.” Earthquake geotechnical engineering, Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 77–82.
Stokoe, K. H., Lee, S. H. H., and Knox, D. P. (1985). “Shear moduli under true triaxial stresses.” Advances in the art of testing soil under cyclic conditions, ASCE, Reston, VA, 166–185.
Sully, J. P. (1991). “Measurement of in-situ lateral stress during full-displacement penetration tests.” Ph.D. thesis, Civil Engineering, Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Sully, J. P., and Campanella, R. G. (1990). “Measurement of lateral stress in cohesive soils by full-displacement in-situ test methods.” Transportation Research Record 1278, National Research Council, Washington, DC, 164–171.
Sully, J. P., and Campanella, R. G. (1995). “Evaluation of in-situ anisotropy from crosshole and downhole shear wave velocity measurements.” Geotechnique, 45(2), 267–282.
Weiler, W. A., Jr. (1988). “Small-strain shear modulus of clay.” Proc., Earthquake Eng. and Soil Dynamics II: Recent Advances in Ground-Motion Evaluation, ASCE, Reston, VA, 331–345.
Yan, L., and Byrne, P. M. (1990). “Simulation of downhole and crosshole seismic tests on sand using the hydraulic gradient similitude method.” Can. Geotech. J., 27(4), 441–460.
Yu, P., and Richart, F. E., Jr. (1984). “Stress ratio effects on shear modulus of dry sands.” J. Geotech. Engrg., 110(3), 331–345.
Zeng, X., and Ni, B. (1999). “Stress-induced anisotropic Gmax of sands and its measurement.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 125(9), 741–749.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 19, 2011
Accepted: Jul 10, 2012
Published online: Jul 31, 2012
Published in print: May 1, 2013
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.