• Land and Housing Review
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.387-395
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• 2011

According to the seismic design criteria for structural buildings in Korea, the ground is classified into 5 types based on the average shear wave velocity measured from elastic wave tests on site and seismic load applied to the structure is estimated. However, elastic wave tests in site, however, on the engineering fill, cannot be performed during the construction period. Therefore, to evaluate shear wave velocity considering field conditions, resonant column (RC) and torsional shear (TS) tests are performed and compared with various elastic wave test results. As a result, if confining pressure for the tests using engineering fill are considered properly, we can obtain similar results comparing with those of elastic wave tests. In addition, by considering the effect of maximum shear modulus and confining pressure by RC/TS tests, n values shows typical values ranging from 0.434 to 0.561 so that utilization of RC/TS tests can be useful to infer shear modulus in field.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.293-307
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• 2012

Shear wave velocity is commonly invoked in explaining geophysical phenomena and in solving geotechnical engineering problems. In particular, the importance of shear wave velocity in geotechnical earthquake engineering has been widely recognized for seismic design and seismic performance evaluation. In the present study, various insitu seismic tests were performed to evaluate geotechnical dynamic characteristics at 183 sites in Korea, and shear wave velocity profiles with depth were determined to be representative of the dynamic properties at the investigated sites. Subsurface soil and rock layers at the target sites were reclassified into five geotechnical layers: fill, alluvial soil, weathered soil, weathered rock, and bedrock, taking into account their general uses in geotechnical earthquake engineering practice. Average shear wave velocity profiles for the five geotechnical layers were obtained by synthesizing the shear wave velocity profiles from seismic tests in the field. Based on the profiles, a representative shear wave velocity value was determined for each layer, for use in engineering seismology and geotechnical earthquake engineering.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2003.06b
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• pp.85-115
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• 2003

토공작업시 굴착난이도(토층, 리핑암, 발파암)를 판정하는 기준으로는 암반의 강도, 풍화정도, 불연속면 간격과 같은 여러 가지 암반의 공학적 특성 및 지반의 탄성파 속도 등이 사용된다. 그러나 실제 토공 작업시의 굴착난이도 평가는 탄성파 탐사와 같은 암석ㆍ암반의 정량적인 판단기준에 근거하지 않고 단지 현장 기술자들의 육안관찰에 의존하여 굴착난이도를 구분하고 있는 실정이다. 본 논문은 실내시험 및 현장시험, 현장굴착난이도 평가 및 탄성파탐사 등을 실시하여 여러 암석에 대한 강도특성을 파악한 것을 근거로 현장에서 사용할 수 있는 암반굴착난이도 평가법의 Checklist를 제안하였다.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.1509-1521
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• 2013

Social demand for the stability of structures lead to the development of the technology to accomplish it. The non-destructive seismic technique, which is able to assess structural integrity of infrastructures, belongs to this category. Seismic technique is focused on the measurement of seismic velocity propagating through the material, and has to utilize sensors coupled to material surface, which does not allow the testing to be performed on the fly. In this paper, a general vocal microphone, which works as a non-contact sensor, was adopted to facilitate seismic testing with mobility and efficiency improved. The target of using microphones was oriented toward quality assessment of compacted subgrade, stiffness evaluation and health monitoring of concrete structures. Experimental parametric study and field applications were performed to investigate reliability and efficiency of microphones. Finally, the optimal test configuration of microphones was suggested for resonance tests and surface-wave tests.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.1-10
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• 2008

Shear wave velocity($V_S$), which can be obtained using various seismic tests, has been emphasized as representative geotechnical dynamic characteristic mainly for seismic design and seismic performance evaluation in the engineering field. For the application of conventional geotechnical site investigation techniques to geotechnical earthquake engineering, standard penetration tests(SPT) and piezocone penetration tests(CPTu) together with a variety of borehole seismic tests were performed at many sites in Korea. Through statistical modeling of the in-situ testing data, in this study, the correlations between $V_S$ and geotechnical in-situ penetrating data such as blow counts(N value) from SPT and piezocone penetrating data such as tip resistance ($q_t$), sleevefriction($f_s$), and pore pressure ratio($B_q$) were deduced and were suggested as an empirical method to determine $V_S$. Despite the incompatible strain levels of the conventional geotechnical penetration tests and the borehole seismic tests, it is shown that the suggested correlations in this study are applicable to the preliminary estimation of $V_S$ for Korean soil layers.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.230-242
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• 2017

Seismic velocities measured from in-situ tests (n=177) and through rock core samples (n=1,035) are reviewed in light of construction standards, widely used standards as a first-hand approximation of rock classification solely based on seismic velocities. In-situ down hole tests and refraction survey for soft rocks showed seismic velocities of 1,400~2,900 m/s which is faster than those specified in construction standards. For moderate~ hard rocks, in-situ down hole tests and refraction survey showed 2,300~3,800 m/s which roughly corresponds with the range specified in the construction standards. A similar trend is also observed for seismic velocities measured from rock core samples. The observed differences between construction standards and seismic velocities can be explained in two ways. If construction standards are correct the observed differences may be explained with seismic velocities affected by underlying fast velocities and also possibly with selection of intact cores for velocity measurement. Alternatively, construction standards may have intrinsic problems, namely artificial discrete boundaries between soft rocks and moderate rocks, application of foreign standards without consideration of geologic setting and lack of independent verification steps. Therefore, we suggest a carefully designed verification studies from a test site. We also suggest that care must be exercised when applying construction standards for the interpretation and accessment of rock mass properties.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.1037-1047
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• 2013

A systematic laboratory compaction testing was performed with the laboratory seismic measurements of the compacted specimens sampled from various compaction fills and was supplemented with in-situ seismic testing to investigate the effects of compaction energy on the elastic wave velocities of the railway roadbed materials. The both variances of the compressive and shear wave velocities with moisture content curve ($V_p$-w and $V_s$-w curves) are similar to the general trend of the density-moisture content curve(${\gamma}_d$-w curve). At the wet side of optimal moisture content (OMC), either $V_p$ or $V_s$ does not significantly increase, which is well reflecting the no gaining in density with the increasing compaction energy exceeding modified-D compaction effort. $V_p$ increases linearly with ${\gamma}_d$ at the dry side of OMC, while it does exponentially at the wet side. The in-situ wave velocities were found to be influenced by the level of confinement and $V_s$ was more sensitive to compaction energy than $V_p$.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.33-43
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• 2008

In this study, for the purpose of evaluating the shear wave velocity in core zone, cross-hole test, down-hole test, MASW (Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Wave), and seismic reflection survey were carried out on the crest of the existing 'Y' dam. The results of field tests were compared one another. Furthermore, the field test results were compared with the result by the Sawada's empirical recommendation method. The purpose of this study is to compare the results of four kinds of field tests for evaluation of shear wave velocity in core zone of existing dam, to verify applicability of the empirical method which was recommended by Sawada and Takahashi, and to recommend a reasonable method for evaluation of shear wave velocity which is needed to evaluate tile maximum shear modulus of core zone. From the results of four kinds of field tests such as cross-hole test, down-hole test, MASW, and seismic reflection survey, it was found that the shear wave velocity distributions were similar within 18 m in depth and the results obtained by MASW and seismic reflection survey were almost the same by 30 m in depth. For evaluation of shear wave velocity in core zone of the existing dam, in consideration that it is not easy to bore the hole ill the core zone of existing dam, surface surveys such as MASW and seismic reflection method are recommended as realistic methods. On condition that it is impossible to conduct the field test and it is preliminary investigation, it is recommended that Sawada's low bound empirical equation be used.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.29-38
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• 1994

A new method of analyzing downhole seismic data is presented. The method is based upon inverse theory and can be used to resolve wave velocity profiles to a much greater accuracy than possible with conventional analysis methods such as direct or interval measurements. In addition, use of inverse theory permits a rational basis for judging the quality of the velocity profile. Five case studies are presented to illustrate application of the inversion method at various geological formations.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.79-87
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• 2008

Recently, a new seismic probe, called "MudFork", has been developed and can be utilized for accurate and easy measurements of shear wave velocities of cohesive soils. To expand its use to estimate undrained shear strength and density, a preliminary investigation to correlate these properties with shear wave velocity was attempted. Cone penetration tests and a seismic test, using MudFork, were performed at a silty soil site near Incheon, Korea. Also, undisturbed samples were obtained using thin-wall tube samplers, and the shear wave velocities and undrained shear strengths of the samples were measured in the laboratory. A simple linear relationship between shear strength and shear wave velocity was obtained, and a tentative relationship between density and shear wave velocity was also defined.