Abstract
An improved version of steady state Rayleigh wave method is presented for the determination of shear wave velocity (Vs) Profiles of a horizontally stratified soil deposit. A dispersion curve and particle orbits of Rayleigh waves can readily be determined in the field through measurements of ground motions induced by an exciter using sensors placed on the ground surface. To determine Vs-profile from the dispersion curve, an inverse analysis which can take into account higher modes of Rayleigh waves is presented and used. To increase the effectiveness of the proposed method, desirable distances among the exciter and sensors are indicated, and the measured particle orbits are used to validate the inverted Vs-profile. Comparative field tests are made at two sites using the proposed method and the conventional down hole method. The Vs-profiles from the two methods are in good agreement with each other, indicating the effectiveness of the proposed method.
