Abstract
The geotechnical characterization for delineating stiffness parameters is important to aid safe engineering foundations. The Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) was utilized to estimate shear wave velocity (Vs) profile and near-surface material characterization. The initial reconnaissance surveys allow optimization of acquisition parameters for seismic data recording that controls signal penetration and attenuation. The gathering of multiple records with several receivers in the surface-wave inversion technique progressively enhanced the dynamic characterization of the sediments. The 2-D genetic algorithm was used for the inversion of dispersion curve. The seismic data was processed to prepare multiple 1-D and 2-D share wave velocity (Vs) profiles. The depth of exploration in 2-D profiling varied from 25 to 52 m. The average Vs of the top 30 m soil column was used to classify the site as per National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) classification. The analysis reveals the majority of sites come under soil class D (Vs30 = 180–360 m/s) and class C (Vs30 = 360–760 m/s). The response analysis performed for different sites reveals variation in spectral acceleration at 10 Hz (single-story buildings) ranging from 0.09 to 0.5 g and at 5 Hz (double-story buildings) ranging from 0.13 to 1.7 g. The present study also discusses the variation of stiffness parameters across the study region to understand the subsurface heterogeneities and allowable bearing capacity for a safe engineering foundation for constructing earthquake-resilient in the area.
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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The authors greatly thank Central University, Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) for providing basic logistics. This research was done under the project entitles “Subsurface Characterization and its Environmental Implications using Engineering Seismograph and Ground Penetration Radar” with financial assistance from Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India under project no. MoES/P.O.(Seismo)/1(206)/2013.
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This work was supported by Ministry of Earth Sciences under project no. (MoES)MoES/P.O.(Seismo)/1(206)/2013.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Dr. Praveen Kumar performed material preparation, data collection and first draft preparation. Prof. Ambrish Kumar Mahajan did the conceptualization, guidance, and editing of the manuscript.
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Mahajan, A.K., Kumar, P. Near-surface characterization and delineation of 2-D shear wave velocity profile from geologically complex landscape of Kangra Valley, NW Himalaya, India. Bull Eng Geol Environ 82, 184 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-023-03207-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-023-03207-2