The use of MASW method in the assessment of soil liquefaction potential

The multi-channel analysis of surface wave (MASW) method is a non-invasive method recently developed to estimate shear wave velocity profile from surface wave energy. Unlike conventional SASW method, multi-station recording permits a single survey of a broad depth range and high levels of redundancy with a single field configuration. An efficient and unified wavefield transform technique is introduced for dispersion analysis and on site data quality control. The technique was demonstrated in the assessment of soil liquefaction potential at a site in Yuan Lin, Taiwan. The shear wave velocity and liquefaction potential assessments based on MASW method compares favorable to that based on SCPT shear wave measurements. Two-dimensional shear wave velocity profiles were estimated by occupying successive geophone spreads at several sites in central western Taiwan, at some of which sand boils or ground cracks occurred during 1999 Chi Chi earthquake. Liquefaction potential analysis based on MASW imaging was shown to be effective for estimating the extent of potential liquefaction hazard.