Continuous-interval shear wave velocity profiling by auto-source and seismic piezocone tests

A new exploratory procedure for collecting continuous shear wave velocity measurements via cone penetration testing using a special autoseis source is presented whereby wavelets can be generated and recorded every 1 to 10 s. The continuous-interval seismic piezocone test (CiSCPTu) offers a fast, productive, and reliable means to expedite the collection of downhole shear wave velocity profiles, as well as additional readings on cone tip resistance, sleeve friction, and penetration porewater pressures with depth. A site in Windsor, Virginia, is utilized for illustrating the collection of data, calibration, and post-processing issues arising from large numbers of wavelets that require filtering, windowing, and selection in both time and frequency domain analyses. At the test site, the geology consists of shallow Holocene deposits of clays and sands to 8 m that are underlain by much stiffer calcareous sandy marine clay soils of Miocene age, which extend beyond the termination depths of the soundings at 30 m.