Evaluation of the applicability of the surface wave method to rock fill dams

Jong Tae Kim; Dong Soo Kim; Heon Joon Park; Eun Seok Bang; Sung Woo Kim

doi:10.1071/EG09054

RESEARCH ARTICLE

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Evaluation of the applicability of the surface wave method to rock fill dams

Jong Tae Kim ¹ Dong Soo Kim ¹ ⁴ Heon Joon Park ¹ Eun Seok Bang ² Sung Woo Kim ³

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea.

² Geotechnical Engineering Division, KIGAM, Daejeon, Korea.

³ Korea Railroad Corporation, Daejeon, Korea.

⁴ Corresponding author. Email: dskim@kaist.ac.kr

Exploration Geophysics 41(1) 9-23 https://doi.org/10.1071/EG09054
Submitted: 30 September 2009 Accepted: 3 December 2009 Published: 19 February 2010

Abstract

In current design practice, the shear wave velocity (Vs) of the core and rock-fill zone of a dam, one of the characteristics essential for seismic response design, is seldom determined by field tests. This is because the borehole seismic method is often restricted in application, due to stabilisation activities and concern for the security of the dam structure, and surface wave methods are limited by unfavourable in-situ site conditions. Consequently, seismic response design for a dam may be performed using Vs values that are assumed, or empirically determined. To estimate Vs for the core and rock-fill zone, and to find a reliable method for measuring Vs, seismic surface wave methods have been applied on the crest and sloping surface of the existing ‘M’ dam. Numerical analysis was also performed to verify the applicability of the surface wave method to a rock-fill dam. Through this numerical analysis and comparison with other test results, the applicability of the surface wave method to rock-fill dams was verified.

Key words: core zone, rock fill dam, rock-fill zone, surface wave method, Vs profile.

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by fund of Smart Infra Structure Technology Center (SISTeC) and field testing was supported by Korea Infrastructure Safety and Technology Corporation (KISTEC). All of them are gratefully acknowledged.

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