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Linear and Nonlinear Ultrasonic Properties of Granular Soils

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Brian P. Bonner ,
Patricia A. Berge ,
Chantel M. Aracne-Ruddle ,
Hugo Bertete-Aguirre ,
Dorthe Wildenschild ,
Cosette N. Trombino  and
Edgar D. Hardy
Brian P. Bonner
Affiliation:
Experimental Geophysics Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, L-201, PO Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551–9900, U.S.A.
Patricia A. Berge
Affiliation:
Experimental Geophysics Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, L-201, PO Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551–9900, U.S.A.
Chantel M. Aracne-Ruddle
Affiliation:
Experimental Geophysics Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, L-201, PO Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551–9900, U.S.A.
Hugo Bertete-Aguirre
Affiliation:
Experimental Geophysics Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, L-201, PO Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551–9900, U.S.A.
Dorthe Wildenschild
Affiliation:
Experimental Geophysics Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, L-201, PO Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551–9900, U.S.A.
Cosette N. Trombino
Affiliation:
Experimental Geophysics Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, L-201, PO Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551–9900, U.S.A.
Edgar D. Hardy
Affiliation:
Experimental Geophysics Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, L-201, PO Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551–9900, U.S.A.
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Abstract

The ultrasonic pulse transmission method (100-500 kHz) was adapted to measure compressional (P) and shear (S) wave velocities for synthetic soils fabricated from quartz-clay and quartz-peat mixtures. Velocities were determined as samples were loaded by small (up to 0.1 MPa) uniaxial stress to determine how stress at grain contacts affects wave amplitudes, velocities, and frequency content. Samples were fabricated from quartz sand mixed with either a swelling clay or peat (natural cellulose). P velocities in these dry synthetic soil samples were low, ranging from about 230 to 430 m/s for pure sand, about 91 to 420 m/s for sand-peat mixtures, and about 230 to 470 m/s for dry sand-clay mixtures. S velocities were about half of the P velocity in most cases, about 130 to 250 m/s for pure sand, about 75-220 m/s for sand-peat mixtures, and about 88-220 m/s for dry sand-clay mixtures. These experiments demonstrate that P and S velocities are sensitive to the amount and type of admixed second phase at low concentrations. We found that dramatic increases in all velocities occur with small uniaxial loads, indicating strong nonlinearity of the acoustic properties. Composition and grain packing contribute to the mechanical response at grain contacts and the nonlinear response at low stresses.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 627: Symposium BB – The Granular State , 2000 , BB3.7
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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References

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