01046324

Component

This research report was funded through New Hampshire?s State Planning and Research (SP&R) funds and it summarizes the New Hampshire Department of Transportation?s attempt to supplement conventional test borings and exploration techniques through the use of geophysics on several geotechnical projects. In many of our geotechnical investigations the depth to bedrock or unstable soils is quite variable over short lateral distances. Conventional explorations are point specific and are capable of missing sudden depth changes and variations in the soil and rock properties. Additional explorations can quickly exhaust available time and money and can sometimes lead to a more puzzling, instead of less confusing, subsurface interpretation. A project?s site conditions or highly conductive soil properties can limit the use of specific geophysical techniques, but through the implementation of additional geophysical equipment the Department has enhanced their capabilities. These new capabilities have helped to alleviate some of the uncertainties when making subsurface interpretations solely through conventional exploration activities. This paper presents case histories on resistivity imaging and seismic refraction used in conjunction with conventional explorations on geotechnical projects to characterize a project?s subsurface conditions. Included are the methods employed for using these geophysical techniques, the geophysical results and how these results were calibrated and verified.

01042056

07-1551

English

13p

2007

Transportation Research Board 86th Annual Meeting

CD-ROM

Figures; Photos; References (11) ; Tables (2)

Boreholes; Case studies; Geophysical prospecting; Geotechnical engineering; Seismic prospecting; Seismicity

New Hampshire Department of Transportation

Seismic refraction; Soil properties; Subsurface analysis

New Hampshire

Geotechnology; Highways; I42: Soil Mechanics

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2007 Paper #07-1551

TRIS, TRB

Feb 8 2007 6:11PM