Nondestructive Sample Quality Assessment of a Soft Clay Using Shear Wave Velocity
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 133, Issue 4
Abstract
While improvements in equipment and sampling methods have enabled collection of better quality samples of soft clays for more reliable engineering design and performance prediction, current sample quality assessment methods typically require destructive laboratory testing performed long after samples are taken. This paper describes a nondestructive technique for sample quality assessment of soft clays using shear wave velocity. A portable bender element device was used to measure shear wave velocity in the field immediately following collection of Sherbrooke block, tube, and split spoon samples of Boston blue clay. values were compared to in situ values from seismic piezocone tests. The ratio was compared with results from a conventional, laboratory-based assessment method. Results indicate a consistent correlation between laboratory-based methods and the ratio, which ranges from for the block samples to 0.28 for split spoon samples. The portable bender element device and nondestructive assessment technique offer the potential for field quality assessment and allow for real time adjustments to sampling techniques and/or more effective selection of samples for laboratory testing.
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Acknowledgments
The work described in this paper was funded by two collaborative National Science Foundation awards, Nos. NSFCMS-0219480 (University of Massachusetts Amherst) and NSFCMS-0218314 (Northeastern University). The writers thank the Massachusetts Highway Department for access to the Newbury Test Site. The writers also acknowledge Dr. Rune Dyvik of the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Dr. J. Carlos Santamarina of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Chris Baxter of the University of Rhode Island, and Dr. Mostafa Ismail of the Center for Offshore Foundation Systems, Australia, for their valuable input during development of the bender element system.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 133 • Issue 4 • April 2007
Pages: 424 - 432
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 26, 2005
Accepted: Sep 1, 2006
Published online: Apr 1, 2007
Published in print: Apr 2007
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