ISSN: 1945-7545
CODEN: GTJODJ
Page Count: 9

Simultaneous Measurement of Surface Wave Dispersion and Attenuation Curves

Rix, GJ
Associate professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

Lai, CG
Project engineer, Studio Geotecnico Italiano, Milan,

Foti, S
Research engineer, Politecnico di Torino,

(Received 8 August 2000; accepted 16 January 2001)

Abstract

In existing surface wave test procedures, experimental dispersion and attenuation curves are determined separately (i.e., uncoupled) using different source-receiver configurations and different interpretation methods. A new procedure based on displacement transfer functions is proposed in which dispersion and attenuation data are derived simultaneously (i.e., coupled) from a single set of measurements using the same source-receiver array. The new approach is motivated by the recognition that in dissipative media, Rayleigh phase velocity and attenuation are not independent as a result of material dispersion. Therefore, a coupled analysis of dispersion and attenuation is a more robust, fundamentally correct approach. The new approach is also more consistent with coupled inversion techniques to obtain the shear wave velocity and shear damping ratio profiles. The proposed approach is illustrated using data measured at a site in Atlanta, Georgia.

Keywords:
dispersion, attenuation, surface wave, Rayleigh wave, SASW, shear wave velocity, material damping ratio

Paper ID: GTJ11132J
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ11132J
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