Evaluating Compaction Quality Using Elastic Seismic P Wave
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 25, Issue 6
Abstract
Seismic refraction using the longitudinal or P wave method of survey was carried out at some highway locations with the object of evaluating the compaction quality of subgrade and subbase at the locations. These highways traverse different geologic terrain. The survey delineated two layers in most of the locations with various values of velocities that generally increase with depth. Soil samples were also obtained for the different subgrades. Compaction and classification tests were carried out on the soil samples. Seismic refraction theory was reviewed and was used to obtain a profile of the layers. The profile pattern of the layers was found to be indicative of the quality of compaction of the subgrade.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
A.O. Ilori wishes to acknowledge the assistance given by Dr. Dereke Palmer of the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, who afforded him a copy of his Ph.D. thesis (“Digital Processing of Shallow Seismic Refraction Data with the Refraction Convolution Section”), and who also through his good will got Jacques Jenny of W_ GeoSoft to give him a copy of Visual_Sunt 7.0 Pro software, which was used in some aspect of this study.
References
AASHTO. (2004). “Standard specification for classification of soils and soil-aggregate mixtures for highway construction purposes.” M145.
Alonso, E. (1998). “Suction and moisture regimes in roadway bases and subgrades.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Subdrainage in Roadway Pavements and Subgrades, PIARC, Paris, France, 3–56 and 57–104.
ASTM. (2009). “Standard test method for deflections with a falling-weight-type impulse load device.” ASTM D4694, West Conshohocken, PA.
Birgisson, B., and Ruth, B. (2003). “Improving performance through consideration of terrain conditions.”, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Carrera, A., Dawson, A., and Steger, J. (2009). “State of the art of materials’ sensitivity to moisture change.”, European Road Administration (European Commission).
Das, B. M. (1983). Fundamentals of soil dynamics, Elsevier, New York.
Dobrin, M. B. (1976). Introduction to geophysical prospecting, 3rd Ed., McGraw-Hill, New York.
Dobrin, M. B., and Savit, C. H. (1988). Introduction to geophysical prospecting, 4th Ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, 451–497.
Farrag, K., Vetter, D., and Hill, B. (2005). “Soil compaction measuring device study.” Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, IL.
Gucunski, N., and Maher, A. (2002). “Evaluation of seismic pavement analyzer for pavement condition monitoring.”, New Jersey Dept. of Transportation Division of Research and Technology, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Washington, DC.
Hagedoorn, J. G. (1959). “The plus-minus method of interpreting seismic refraction sections.” Geophys. Prospect., 7(2), 158–182.
Ilori, A. O., Okereke, C. S., and Edet, A. E. (2004). “The application of shallow seismic refraction and penetration tests for site investigation for an airport extension in Calabar, southeastern Nigeria.” Int. Conf. on Site Characterization (Theme 5), Technical Committee 16 of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Millpress, Rotterdam.
Inci, G., Yesiller, N., and Kagawa, T. (2003). “Experimental investigation of dynamic response of compacted clayey soils.”. Geotech. Test. J., 26(2).
Liu, S. J., and Lytton, R. L. (1984). “Rainfall infiltration, drainage, and load-carrying capacity of pavements.” Transp. Res. Rec., 993, 28–35.
Miller, C. J., Yesiller, N., Yaldo, K., and Merayyan, S. (2002). “Impact of soil type and compaction conditions on soil water characteristic.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 128(9), 733–742.
Mooney, A. M. (1973). Handbook of engineering geophysics, Bison Instruments, Minneapolis, MN.
Nazarian, S., Baker, M. R., and Crain, K. (1993). “Development and testing of a seismic pavements analyzer.”, Strategic Highway Research Program, National Research Council, Washington DC.
Nettleton, L. L. (1940). Geophysical prospecting for oil, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Palmer, D. (2001). “Digital processing of shallow seismic refraction data with the refraction convolution section.” Ph.D. thesis, School of Geology, Univ. of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Reynolds, J. M. (1997). An introduction to applied and environmental geophysics, Wiley, Chichester, UK, 303, 375–379.
Rucker, M. L. (2006). “Surface geophysics as tools for characterizing existing bridge foundations and scour conditions.” Geophysics 2006 Conf., Federal Highway Authority (FHA), Missouri.
Sjogren, B. (1984). Shallow refraction seismic, Chapman and Hall, New York.
Stumpel, H., Kahlar, S., Meissner, R., and Millereit, B. (1984). “The use of seismic shear waves compressional waves for lithological problems of shallow sediments.” Geophys. Prospect., 32, 667–675.
Telford, W. M., Geldart, L. P., Sherif, R. E., and Keys, D. A. (1990). Applied geophysics, 2nd Ed., Cambridge University Press, London.
Tezcan, S. S., Ozdemir, Z., and Keceli, A. (2009). “Seismic technique to determine the allowable bearing pressure for shallow foundations in soils and rocks.” Acta Geophysica, 57(2), 400–412.
Tinjum, J. M., Benson, C. H., and Blotz, L. R. (1997). “Soil-water characteristic curves for compacted clays.” J. Geotech. Eng., 123(11), 1060–1069.
Wiman, L. (2001). “Accelerated load testing of pavements, HVS-Nordic tests in Sweden 1999.”, 〈http://www.vti.se〉 (Mar. 23, 2013).
Yang, S. R., and Lin, H. D. (2009). “Influence of soil suction on small-strain stiffness of compacted residual subgrade soil.” 〈http://ir.lib.ntust.edu.tw/handle/987654321/183〉 (Mar. 23, 2013).
Yang, S. R., Lin, H. D., Kung, J. H. S., and Liao, J. Y. (2008). “Shear wave velocity and suction of unsaturated soil using bender element and filter paper method.” J. GeoEng., 3(2), 67–74.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 25 • Issue 6 • June 2013
Pages: 693 - 700
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 12, 2011
Accepted: Jul 17, 2012
Published online: May 15, 2013
Published in print: Jun 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.