CONTRIBUTION OF SEISMIC METHODS TO MULTI-METHOD ASSESSMENTS OF EARTH DAM STRUCTURES

摘要

Many of the small earth dam structures in New England are the result of several stages of construction or alteration as far back as Colonial times. Current projects to rehabilitate these dams require investigations focused on understanding the internal components, materials, and, in some cases, their archaeological significance. The quest for rehabilitation contracts among engineering firms is quite competitive. Consequently, the budgets allocated to the small dam investigations are tight and attempt to constrain the investigations to single less labor-intensive geophysical methods, such as GPR. However, single geophysical method approaches provide limited information on characteristics or defects of these types of dams. Therefore, the preferred approach is a multi-method one combining GPR with more labor intensive seismic and electrical methods. This paper will focus on the contribution that seismic methods provide to the multi-method investigations of earthen dams and, within the context of constrained engineering budgets, examine whether that contribution warrants the additional commitment of time and effort.