PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE USING A SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE TO MEASURE AVERAGE SHEAR-WAVE VELOCITY TO A DEPTH OF 30 METERS (VS30)

摘要

VS30 is used in the NEHRP Provisions and the 1997 Uniform Building Code to separate sites into classes for earthquake engineering design. VS30 can also be incorporated into local seismic hazard maps. Surface wave methods have been used to estimate VS30 for a number of years. These methods are nondestructive, and sample a larger volume of the subsurface as compared to borehole measurements. During the recent three years the authors have had the opportunity to test a simplified procedure to estimate VS30 and compare the results to complete surface wave soundings and borehole measurements. Here the authors present the results of these comparisons, practical applications of this method, and the results for engineering practice.