Method to Reduce Variability of S-Wave Profiles in Seismic Cone Penetration Tests

The pseudo method used to calculate shear wave velocity (Vs) in seismic cone penetration (SCP) tests often generates high variability of Vs values at shallow depths. This occurs when travel paths are small and signal variability large to allow accurate arrival time differentiation between successive signals. The offset distance between the source and receivers has the largest influence on signal variability. A method described in this paper shows good results in reducing Vs variability of SCP tests during post processing. The method consists of increasing the sampling interval to calculate Vs and then regrouping the data to provide its original test-depth profile. The method is illustrated with a case study