Computation of Ground Bearing Capacity from Shear Wave Velocity

Abstract

Ground bearing capacity, which stands for the maximum pressure that the base can bear without collapsing, depends on mechanical features such as ground’s weight per unit volume, shear strength and deformation characteristics; on the initial tension status and hydraulic conditions and on the geometrical and physical conditions such as depth, shape and load the base bears. Traditional method is to use the ground bearing capacity formula of Terzaghi. Ground bearing capacity can be computed by substituting the data from the results of soil mechanics laboratory and field experiments to Terzaghi’s formula. Among field experiments, SPT (Standard Penetration Test) is included. If the strong relationships between shear wave velocity of Imai and Yoshimura (1975) and the SPT; and between shear wave velocity and unconfined pressure strength are taken into account, ground bearing capacity can be computed from shear wave velocity.