Field Investigation of Maximum Dynamic Shear Modulus of Clay Deposit Using Seismic Piezocone

Abstract

The maximum dynamic shear modulus (Gmax) of soils is a fundamental parameter used in the evaluation of soil dynamic behavior and seismic design in geotechnical engineering. In this study, seismic piezocone (SCPTU) and resonant column (RCT) test methods were adopted for measuring soil shear wave velocity (Vs) in Jiangsu Province of China. Then, the relationship between the Gmax and SCPTU test parameters was established based on the test data of shear wave velocity. The results show that using the correlation between the cone resistance (qt) and void ratio (e) or pore pressure parameter (Bq) to evaluate Gmax was better than using the single-cone tip resistance parameters. The Gmax of the soft soil can be determined more accurately using the cone tip resistance and pore pressure parameters measured by the SCPTU test method, and corrected based on the laboratory test data. The evaluation of Gmax based on the RCT test results was not satisfactory due to the soil disturbance induced during sampling and testing processes.