Engineering Seismic Refraction: an Improved Field Practice and A New Interpretation Program, REFRACT

C. Walker; T. M. Leung; M. A. Win; R. J. Whiteley

doi:10.1071/EG991423

ISSN: 0812-3985
E-ISSN: 1834-7533

Engineering Seismic Refraction: an Improved Field Practice and A New Interpretation Program, REFRACT
Authors C. Walker^a, T. M. Leung^a, M. A. Win^a and R. J. Whiteley^b
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^a Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW 28 Ennis Rd Milsons Point, NSW, 2061, Australia ^b Seisets Pty Ltd, 40 Barwon Ave Turramurra, NSW, 2074, Australia
Publisher: Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Source: Exploration Geophysics, Volume 22, Issue 2, Jun 1991, p. 423 - 427
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/EG991423
- Published online: 01 Jun 1991

Abstract

Shallow seismic refraction is the principal geophysical method for engineering site investigations. The Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales applies the method for roadworks, chiefly in the investigation of road cuttings for design and excavation assessment. The need to obtain reliable and detailed interpreted seismic sections, particularly for intermediate layers with seismic velocities in the range 800 to 2500 m/s, has led to an improved field practice with a 3 to 5 m geophone interval and sourcepoint intervals of 10 to 15 m with offsets up to 50 m. As a result of the deficiencies of currently available interpretation software a new interactive and graphically oriented computer program called REFRACT, for IBM AT compatible computers, has been developed. A field example from a variably weathered, basaltic area demonstrates the effectiveness of the improved field and interpretation practice which is state-of-the-art for the shallow engineering refraction method in its application to roadworks.

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References

Greenhalgh, S. A., and Whiteley, R. J., (1977). ‘Effective application of the seismic refraction method to highway engineering’. Aust. Road Res., 7, 3-20.
Hagerdoorn, J. G., (1959). ‘The plus-minus method of interpreting seismic refraction sections’. Geophys. Prosp., 6 , 285-294.
Hatherley, P. J., (1980). ‘Computer processing of seismic refraction data’. Bull. Aust. Soc. Explor. Geophys., 11 , 69-74.
Hawkins, L. V., (1961). ‘The reciprocal method of routine shallow seismic refraction interpretation’. Geophysics, 26 , 806-819.
Whiteley, R. J., (1983). ‘Recent developments in the application of geophysics to geotechnical investigation’. In: In situ testing forgeotechnical investigations, M.C. Erwin (ed.), Balkema, Rotterdam, Ch. 7, 87-110.
Whiteley, R. J., (1988). ‘Engineering geophysics: a geophysicist’s view’. Aust. Geomechanics, 15 , 47-56.
Whiteley, R. J., (1990). Advances in Engineering Seismics’. Keynote Address, Proc. 6th Int. IAEG Congress, Amsterdam, 6-10 Aug., 1990 Balkema, Rotterdam, 813-825.

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Article Type: Research Article

Keyword(s): engineering; interpretation program; microcomputer; REFRACT; seismic refraction

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Engineering Seismic Refraction: an Improved Field Practice and A New Interpretation Program, REFRACT

Abstract

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