Wave Propagation at the Surface of Clay Deposits due to Vertical Impact

In a study of wave propagation at the surface of soft and sensitive clay deposits, particle velocities were measured at live sites of Champlain clay deposits in the province-of Quebec. Surface excitation was provided by the free fall of a mass and the measurements were obtained at different distances from the source at ground level and shallow depths. The major portion of the energy appears to be in the form of Rayleigh waves. Attention is focused on the effects of site parameters and in particular the depth of water table on the level of amplitude and the attenuation coefficient. As expected, measurements obtained at top of a slope show a significantly larger amplitude along the crest when compared to the amplitude away from the crest