IN SITU TESTING PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING DYNAMIC AND CYCLIC SOIL PROPERTIES

WE ARE PROPOSING RESEARCH TO ADVANCE OUR ABILITY TO ECONOMICALLY INSURE THE EARTHQUAKE RESISTANCE OF SOIL-STRUCTURE-EQUIPMENT SYSTEMS. WE PROPOSE RESEARCH TOWARDS EVALUATING A NEW IN SITU GEOTECHNICAL TESTING CONCEPT (PATENT PENDING) FOR PROVIDING BETTER MEASURES OF LIQUEFACTION RESISTANCE, DEGRADATION CHARACTERISTICS, AND DYNAMIC SHEAR MODULUS. CURRENT PROCEDURES CAN CREATE CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY AND POTENTIAL FOR ERROR, LEADING TO EITHER UNCONSERVATIVE OR COSTLY, EXCESSIVELY CONSERVATIVE DESIGNS. IN SITU TESTS DO NOT SIMULATE EARTHQUAKE-TYPE LOADING NOR READILY PROVIDE THE INFORMATION NEEDED BY EARTHQUAKE ANALYSES. LABORATORY TESTS ARE PLAGUED BY SAMPLE DISTURBANCE AND LOSS OF THE IN SITU STATE OF STRESS. OUR PROCEDURE WILL REDUCE UNCERTAINTY AND THE POTENTIAL FOR ERROR BY EFFECTIVELY, SCIENTIFICALLY, AND INNOVATIVELY COMBINING THE ATTRACTIVE FEATURES OF LABORATORY AND IN SITU TESTS CYCLIC LOADS WILL BE APPLIED, DISTURBANCES MINIMIZED, THE IN SITU STATE OF STRESS PRESERVED AND REQUIRED INFORMATION ACCURATELY INFERRED BY DESCRIPTIVE SOIL-PROBE INTERACTION ANALYSIS PHASE I RESEARCH WILL DETERMINE FEASIBILITY. WE WILL ESTABLISH THEORETICAL FEASIBILITY BY ANALYTICALLY PREDICTING THE BEHAVIOR OF THE TESTING SYSTEM TO BE SENSITIVE TO SELECTED SOIL PROPERTIES IN CLEAR, PHYSICALLY REASONABLE MANNERS. WE WILL ESTABLISH OPERATIONAL FEASIBILITY BY DEVELOPING A PRACTICAL CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF A LABORATORY PROTOTYPE TESTING SYSTEM. PRELIMINARY STUDIES INDICATE THAT FEASIBILITY IS LIKELY.