EPS 523 – Seismic Interpretation

Final Class Project

Interpretation of downhole seismic profiling data for

Geotechnical design

Presented by
Ishtiaque Anwar

Course Instructor: Dr. Lindsay Lowe Worthington

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Motivation
• Additional survey technique tool is a necessity for geotechnical exploration.
• To quantify the potential of downhole seismic logging as a promising tool for
geotechnical study.

Objective
• Measuring dynamic geotechnical properties of soil from the P-S wave velocity log
analysis,
• Establish design parameter for earthquake resistant structural foundation design.

Workflow (5 weeks)

Reviewing the
existing Calculations &
Collection of Resource
literature and Interpretation summarize the Presentation
existing data management
site geology findings

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 Questions that need to be answered

 Could it be an important part of geotechnical soil investigation?

 Why should we consider this method over other seismic survey

methods?

 What are the subsurface parameters/ rock soil properties can be

obtained via PS logging data?

 What is the potential of down hole seismic survey in geotechnical

design?

 Whether the P-S logging data can provide with continuous parameter?

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 Data courtesy: Ground Instrumentation & Engineering Pte Ltd
Soil Stratum

A boring log from conventional soil investigation method

(without the assistance of any geophysical survey technique) 4
A boring log from conventional soil investigation method
(without the assistance of any geophysical survey technique)
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 SeisImager/DH Downhole Seismic Data Analysis Software

Manual for the software – SeisImager/DH

used for analysis Outline of processing
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SeisImager/DH Downhole Seismic Data Analysis Software 9
Raw data file

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 Source: Google Maps

Site Location
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 Boring Log
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Data courtesy: Ground Instrumentation & Engineering Pte Ltd

Design Seismic Actions

• Special buildings on Ground Types “B”, “C” or “D” and

• Ordinary buildings on Ground Types “D” or “S1”

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Boring Log

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Design Seismic Actions

The principal nonpetroleum application is for investigations of engineering sites.

Shear-wave velocities are one of the more useful engineering properties of soil and rock because they
are closely related to the shear strength of a material, and shear strength is what supports structures.

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Design Seismic Actions
BH 01

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Design Seismic Actions
BH 02

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Design Seismic Actions
BH 02

Calculated average velocity

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Design Seismic Actions
BH 03

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Design Seismic Actions
BH 03

Calculated average velocity

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Summary

The Ground Type within the

Borehole ID Location SPT Shear wave velocity (m/s) footprint of the structure

BH 01 1°20'03.6"N 103°55'56.2"E 8.3 175.89

Ground Type D
BH 02 1°20'03.4"N 103°55'56.3"E 7.64 263.32

BH 03 1°20'02.9"N 103°55'56.2"E 9.59 256.24

Design Response Spectrum:

The peak or maximum response (acceleration, velocity, displacement) of all possible linear single degree
of freedom (SDF) system to a particular component of ground motion for a given level of damping.

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Further works

The design response spectrum can be used as input directly into any conventional structural
analysis software is given by
design spectral acceleration at 5% structural damping

importance factor

Values can be obtained from

behavior factor national building code

The other basic principal parameters used to predict ground spectral amplification ratios for
earthquake site response

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 Questions that need to be answered

 Could it be an important part of geotechnical soil investigation?

 Why should we consider this method over other seismic survey

methods?

 What are the subsurface parameters/ rock soil properties can be

obtained via PS logging data?

 What is the potential of down hole seismic survey in geotechnical

design?

 Whether the P-S logging data can provide with continuous parameter?

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References:
Angioni, T., Rechtien, R. D., Cardimona, S. J., & Luna, R. (2003). Crosshole seismic tomography and borehole
logging for engineering site characterization in Sikeston, MO, USA. Tectonophysics, 368(1), 119–137.

Crice, D. (2011). Near-surface, downhole shear-wave surveys: A primer. The Leading Edge, 30(2), 164–171.

Emre, B., & John, D. (2017, November 15). Suspension P-S Logging for Geophysical Investigation of Deep Soil and
Bedrock. GeoFlorida 2010.

Islam, N. (2015). Use of PS Logging and Ground Response Analysis using DEEPSOIL in BUET-JIDPUS,BUET,
Dhaka. International Journal of Innovative Science and Modern Engineering (IJISME), 3, 8–12.

Leong, E., Anand, S., K Cheong, H., & C Pan, T. (2017). In-situ measurement of shear wave velocities at two soft soil
sites in Singapore.

Soupios, P. M., Georgakopoulos, P., Papadopoulos, N., Saltas, V., Andreadakis, A., Vallianatos, F., … Makris, J. P.
(2007). Use of engineering geophysics to investigate a site for a building foundation. Journal of Geophysics and
Engineering, 4(1), 94.

Acknowledgements:
Data source: Ground Instrumentation & Engineering Pte Ltd, Singapore

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THANK YOU

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