Drop-weight test based identification of elastic half-space model parameters

Abstract

A method enabling the conversion of dynamic drop-weight test results into a statical substitute is presented. Owing to this substitution, statical models, instead of complex dynamical models, can be used for subsoil elastic moduli identification. An elastic half-space was adopted as the subsoil model. Identification was limited to the determination of the subsoil's modulus of elasticity. The results were verified in two ways. One way consisted in the simulation of experimental results on the basis of theoretical results. The latter were obtained by analytically solving the problem of half-space vibrations caused by an impact pulse. The elastic moduli identified on the basis of the simulated results were compared with the assumed elastic moduli. In the other verification method, the results obtained by the proposed identification method were compared with the result yielded by the standard statical identification method. The load and displacement values used were from tests carried out on actual soils.