Dilatmetro Ssmico (SDMT)

Fundamentos bsicos, parmetros geotcnicos, y software

Bogot 8 de Mayo 2015 Eng. Diego Marchetti

Colombia www.marchetti-dmt.it
SDMT Equipment

DMT
(static)

Seismic
(dynamic)
Seismic Dilatometer (2004)
 SDMT Test Layout

Top Sensor
Seismic probe

Acquisition Board

Bottom Sensor
DMT
 Shear Wave Source (SWS)
Plays a crucial role for:
quality of test results
maximum test depth (SNR Signal to Noise Ratio)

Usually a Mechanical SWS: hammer + shear beam

 Shear Wave Source (SWS)
Pendulum Hammer

Automated Hammer (Autoseis)

 Shear Wave Source (SWS)

Geometry & weight: influence only wave shape and max

test depth (not Vs results)

Remove pavement under

SWS (if present)
Apply load on SWS (i.e.
truck jacks). SWS transmits
shear wave only if good
adherence with soil
Use rubber for decoupling
vertical load energy to
soil not to load
 Shear Wave Source (SWS)

Distance from SWS to rods

SWS Placement and Orientation

SDMT Sensor Orientation

 Shear vs Compression wave

Shear Wave

particle
motion

propagation direction

particle
motion
Compression Wave
S and P waves generated by hammer + shear beam
Hammer
Shear Beam head

soil vibration P-wave

P-wave direction

S-Wave

When the hammer head strikes the shear beam, the

corresponding soil vibration generates both a compression
wave (P) and a shear wave (S).
Minimize distance from Shear Beam to Rods (DSBR)
DSBR
Hammer
Shear Beam head

soil vibration P-wave

direction

P-wave

rods

Z S-Wave
Sensors record shear wave if: Z >> DSBR
If not, sensors record combination of S and P wave
Place shear beam as close as possbile to rods (no contact)
 SWS Placement & Orientation
Correct Placement Acceptable Placement
The hitting direction of the hammer
should be perpendicular to the line from
the rods to the center of shear beam

TOP VIEW
Hammer
head

90 rods
Shear 50
beam

hammer hitting direction

 SDMT Sensor Orientation
SDMT has mono-axial sensors, soil movement detected
only in one direction
Once SWS is placed, correct sensor orientation is
determined: the hitting direction of the hammer must be
(approximately) parallel to the axis of the sensors

TOP VIEW

Hammer
head

sensor
Shear
beam rod

sensor
axis sensor axis
hammer hitting direction
 SWS Placement and Orientation (1/2)
soil irregularity (i.e. wall)
Hammer
head
Shear Beam

soil vibration

S-Wave
(direct)

P-wave S1
(reflected) Sum of direct S wave and
reflected P wave.
S2

Hammer hitting direction towards soil irregularity (wall, ditch, ..)

Sensor S1 receives direct S-Wave and reflected P-wave
Difficult Interpretation
 SWS Placement and Orientation (2/2)
Shear
soil irregularity (i.e. wall)
beam
Direct Reflected
Hammer
head S wave S wave

S-Wave
(direct)

S-wave S1
(reflected)
S2
Reliable interpretation

Hammer hitting direction is parallel to soil irregularity

Sensor S1 receives direct S-Wave and reflected S-wave
Time delay similar for direct and reflected wave
SDMT Equipment
 Seismic Acquisition Unit - connections
DMT cable

Ground
clamp to rods

USB

Trigger
Shear wave seismogram acquisition
 Shear wave seismogram acquisition
depth of DMT blade (user deals only with 1 depth)
Z: depth of midpoint between sensors
Vs assigned at Z
Vs repeated at Z (independent)

variation coefficient

40.50

295

current Vs interpretation
Shear wave seismogram acquisition
Shear wave seismogram acquisition parameters

signal amplification in depth

sample time (microseconds)
n samples (800-1800)
distance hammer - rods
trigger type

time shift after trigger event

Shear wave velocity measurement
Pendulum hammer generating shear wave
Data Acquisition is rapid ( 5 sec)
Vs interpretation real time
Automatic delay evaluation

t = wave delay

shift red signal back

towards blu signal, until
best superimposition is
obtained

Cross-correlation algorithm
 Seismograms

Vs INFORMATION IS THE DELAY, NOT WAVE SHAPE

 Recommended Test Sequence

DMT tests every 20 cm

Seismic test every 50 cm
Chart Pattern (DMT depth)
When both tests, DMT first
 SDMT main features
SDMT Vs interpretation
Automatic
operator independent
real time

Accuracy of delay (t) calculation

true-interval (2 receivers instead of 1)
Trigger offset no influence on t calculation
Same wave to both receivers
Signals are amplified and digitized in depth
clean waves delay t very clear

Test execution is rapid

no hole
no wait for cementation (e.g. crosshole, downhole)
 Vs validations

Bothkennar Treporti-Venezia Zelazny Most

(UK) (Italia) (Polonia)
Vs (m/s)
0 100 200 300 400
0

10 SDMT P.I.
SDMT pseudo-interval
SDMT T.I. true-interval
SDMT
15 SCPTU
SCPT P.I. pseudo-interval
Z (m)

20

25

30

35

40

Hepton McGillivray & Mynarek et al.

(1988) Mayne (2004) (2006)
Vs in Moss Landing California USA
Site underwent immediate liquefaction during Loma Prieta (1989) earthquaqe

Feb 2008 2008

 Soils testable by DMT vs SDMT

DMT
ALL SANDS, SILTS, CLAYS
Very soft soils (Cu = 2-4 kPa, M=0.5 MPa)
Hard soils/Soft Rock (Cu = 1 MPa, M=400 Mpa)

SDMT
All penetrable soils (DMT)
Also in non penetrable soils (gravel, rock, ..):
inside a gravel backfilled borehole (grain size 5-15 mm)
Max depth today: 135 m in LAquila (2009)
 Vs in non-penetrable soils
Method (downhole):
Drill borehole
careful backfill of borehole with
gravel (grains D = 5-15 mm)
Vs in borehole

Travelpath includes short path in the

the sand
sand backfill similar for both receivers
travelpath
is similar
delay t does not change

Totani (2009)
SDMT validation in non-penetrable soils

In penetrable soils both

procedures are possible

results same

(only Vs in sandfilled borehole - no DMT !!!)

SDMT in borehole (140m) Aquila (ITALY)
SHEAR WAVE VELOCITY (m/s)
Aquila (Earthquake 2009)
Fill Material

Calcareous Breccia

Depth (m)
LACUSTRINE DEPOSITS:
SILTY SAND and
CLAYEY-SANDY SILT
 Vs in addition to DMT results
grain size compressibility strength stress history Vs and G0

GO= Vs2

DMT Seismic DMT

 SDMT used in over 70 countries () (> 200 in USA)

() Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech
Republic, China, Chile, Cyprus, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guadalupe, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy,
Japan, Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherland, New Zeland, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America, Venezuela, Vietnam.
Some SDMT test sites...
Underground in Rome - Line C

Via Fori Imperiali Piazza Venezia

SDMT - NASA Cape Kennedy (USA)
Juan Santamaria Intnl. Airport Costarica
SDMT in SE LAGO Mexico city
 Palazzo Esposizioni - Rome

CROSS SECTION: CONSTRAINED MODULUS M (MPa)

SDMT 1 (front) SDMT 2 (front) SDMT 3 (back)

This building experienced a

crack in the ceiling due to
differential settlements
SDMT at Zelazny Most Poland
Tests performed for monitoring copper waste dam
 STANDARDS
EUROCODE 7 (2007). Standard Test Method, European Committee for
Standardization, Part 3: Design Assisted by Field Testing, Section 9: Flat
Dilatometer Test (DMT), 9 pp.

ASTM (2007). Standard Test Method D6635-01, American Society for Testing
and Materials. The standard test method for performing the Flat Dilatometer
Test (DMT), 14 pp.
TC16 (1997). The DMT in soil Investigations, a report by the ISSMGE
Technical Committee tc16 on Ground Property, Characterization from in-situ
testing, 41 pp.

ASTM (2011) Standard Test Method D7400 08, Standard Test Methods for
Downhole Seismic Testing, 11 pp.

NATIONAL STANDARDS:
Italy: Consiglio Superiore Lavori Pubblici (2009), Protezione Civile (2008)
Sweden: Swedish Geotechnical Society SGF report (1994)
France: ISO/TS 22476-11:2005(F)
China: TB10018 (2003), GB50021 (2003), DGJ08-37 (2012)
..
Website: www.marchetti-dmt.it
Freely downloadable papers
 3rd International Conference on the
Flat Dilatometer (DMT)
Rome 14th-16th June 2015

Official web site: Papers: Contact Info:

www.dmt15.com papers@dmt15.com info@dmt15.com
 Highlights of the conference include
www.dmt15.com

Prof. Roger Frank (ISSMGE president) Welcome

speech
Prof. J. Schmertmanns dinner talk
Prof. M. Jamiolkowski: use of SDMT in the
Zelazny Most dam in Poland
Prof. F. Schnaid: use of DMT and SDMT in
tailings dam

120 abstracts from 32 Countries

Conference venue in the town center
www.dmt15.com
Rome Touristic Attractions
www.dmt15.com
St. Peters and Pope Francesco
www.dmt15.com
 Rome: Booking June 2015
www.dmt15.com

Difficult booking ( Hotel, Flights ):

June is high season

High popularity of the Pope

EXPO 2015 (Milan-Rome)

 DMT15 PAPERS INDEX
Driven Pile Setup testing and the Dilatometer
P. J. Bullock
Design of Retaining Structures in a Tropical Soil
with the Use of the Marchetti Dilatometer
R. P. Cunha & A. Reyes
Estimation of Lateral Earth Pressure on
Cantilever Sheet Pile using Flat Dilatometer Test
(DMT) Data: Numerical Study
K. Deb & S. Konai
Settlements Analysis using the Dilatometer:
Embankment over Soft Marine Clay Deposit
in Dover, New Hampshire, USA
A. Getchell, J. R. Blair, A. J. Santamaria & J.
Benoit
Practical Use of the Dilatometer Tests Some
Case Studies from Poland
T. Godlewski
Predicting Settlement and Stability of Wet Coal
Ash Impoundments using Dilatometer Tests
C. Hardin, R. Failmezger & B. Roth
A 400-ft (122 m) Deep Dilatometer Sounding in
Atlantic Coastal Plain Soils
N. Massoudi, R. Failmezger & J. A. Padgett
Flat Dilatometer Tests for Verification of Ureteks
Resin-Injections
R. Niederbtucker, W. Wu & A. Pasquetto
Using Combination of SPT, DMT and CPT to
Estimate Geotechnical Model for a Special
Project in Turkey
F. Orhun Onal & G. Ozmen
The Use of a DMT to Monitor the Stability of the
Slopes of a Clay Exploitation Pit in the Boom
Clay in Belgium
H. Peiffer
Early Applications of SDMT in Dubai in Two Perception of Overconsolidates States of
Main Projects for Natural Artificial Earthfill Silty Coarse-Grained Soils using DMT Results
Sand H. Choo, W. Lee, C. Lee, Y.-S. Kim & M.-J. Lee
E. Sharif Redesign of Shallow Foundations using
Evaluation of Geotechnical Parameters of Clay Dilatometer Tests More Case Studies after
Built in Dam Core based on DMT DMT'06 Conference
Z. Skutnik & S. Krysiak R. Failmezger, P. Till, J. Frizzell & S. Kight
Long-term Settlements of an Avalanche Geotechnical Characterization for the Magneti
Gallery on Loose Soil Marelli Factory in Crevalcore (Bologna): DMT,
W. Steiner & M. Schulte CPTu and Lab Tests Comparisons
Application of SCPTU and SDMT in the F. Fiorelli, M. Franceschini & R. Carbonella
Assessment of Settlement of Tailings Development of the Soil Classification by
by Trial Embankment Material Index (ID)
W. Tschuschke, W. Swidzinski, S. Gogolik I. Guskov & A. Gayduk
& M. Walczak Comparisons of DMT with In-Situ and Laboratory
Application of Modern Ground Investigation Tests in Soft Estuarine Clay
Techniques To Characterise Quaternary R. Kelly, L. Bates & J. Pineda
Sediments in Kempsey, NSW Peak Friction Angle of Undisturbed Sands using
J. Varcoe, K. Nation, K. Nunn & S. Terzaghi DMT
Use of SDMT Testing for Measuring Soil P. W. Mayne
Densification by Ground Improvement in Soil behavior Type using the DMT
Christchurch, New Zeland P. K. Robertson
S. Amoroso, K. M. Rollins, P. Monaco & A. Comparison of SPT and DMT/SDMT for
Thorp Liquefaction Potential of Soft Alluvial Soil at
Vibroflotation Control of Sandy Soils British Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar
L. Balachowsky & N. Kurek T. Sein
Set-Up in Heavy Tamping compaction of Geotechnical Characterization of Shallow
Sands Foundation and Wide Area:
N. Kurek & L. Balachowski the Case Study of Venice Airport (Italy)
Combination of SDMT and CPT Results for P. Simonini, M. Schiavo, A. Manganaro & S.
Effective Analysis of Soils Parameters at a Site Amoroso
near Piacenza, Italy Governolo (Italy) Experimental Sites: In-Situ
K. Bandyopadhyay, S. Saraswati & S. Tests Comparisons and Mutual Conversions
Bhattacharjee G. Togliani, L. Calzolari & A. Menghin
Pile Capacity Prediction (Class C): DMT vs
CPT G. Togliani & G. Reuter
Preliminary Liquefaction Studies for Seismic
Microzonation of Avezzano, Italy
S. Amoroso, P. Boncio, D. Famiani, S.
Hailemikael, M. R. Manuel, G. Milana, P.
Monaco, M. Vassallo & G. Vessia
Liquefaction Evaluation of Aveiro Sands
from SCPTU and SDMT Tests
S. Amoroso, A. Viana da Fonseca, C.
Rodrigues & N. Cruz
Evaluation of Liquefaction Potential by
CPTU and SDMT
E. Anamali, L. Dhimitri, N. Shkodrani & D.
Ward
Soil Characterization of Catania Harbour by
the Seismic Dilatometer Marchetti Test
(SDMT)
A.Cavallaro, P. Capilleri & M. Maugeri
Site Response Analysis and Liquefaction
Hazard Evaluation in the Catania Harbour
(Italy) A. Ferraro, S. Grasso & M. R.
Massimino
SDMT Based Analysis of the Liquefaction
Phenomena Induced by the April 6, 2009
Earthquake at Ponte Rasarolo, LAquila
(Italy)
P. Monaco, G. Totani & S. Amoroso
SDMT Based Site Characterization and
Liquefaction Analysis of Canal Banks
Damaged by the 2012 Emilia (Italy) Seismic
Sequence
L. Tonni, G. Gottardi, M. Marchi, L.
Martelli, P. Monaco, L. Simeoni & S.
Amoroso
Comparison of DMT, CPT, SPT and Vs
Based Liquefaction Assessment on
Treasure Island during the Loma Prieta
Earthquake
K. Rollins, S. Amoroso & R. Hryciw
Comparison of Soil Test Data, Obtained
with Different Probes
G. Boldyrev, I. Guskov, S. Lavrov, V.
Sidorchuk & D. Skopintsev
Instrumented DMT: Review and Analysis
H. Shen, W. Haegeman & H. Peiffer
Analysis of Dilatometer Test in Clay
L. Cao, M.-F. Chang & C. The
Soil Stiffness Constitutive Model
Parameters for Geotechnical Problems: a
Dilatometer Testing Approach
C. Cox & P. Mayne
Evaluation of DMT and CPT Parameters to
be Used in Numerical Modeling of Piles
J. R. Garcia & P. J. Rocha de
Albuquerque
Geotechnical Parameters of Loess Soils
from CPTU and SDMT
Z. Mlynarek, J. Wierzbicki & M. Manka
SDMT Testing for the Estimatioon of In-Situ
Giacheti
G Decay Curves in Soft Alluvial and
Organic SoilsG. Pepe, G. Coen, A.
Pagliaroli, F. Stigliano, M. Mancini, G,
Lanzo & M. Scarapazzi
Application of the MCC Model for the
Estimation of Undrained Geotechnical
Parameters of Clays from Dilatometer
TestsV. Silvestri & C. Tabib
SDMT a Tool for In-Situ Identification of
Collapsible Soils
D. Berisavljevic, D. Rakic & N. Susic
DMT Tests at Sarapui Soft Clay Deposit:
from 1985 to 2012
F. A. B. Danziger, G. M.
FaquimJannuzzi, M. V. C. Mello Vieira
Toniazzo & T. Lunne
Dilatometer Tests in Sensitive Champlain
Sea Clay: Stress History and Shear
Strength
A.J. Lutenegger
Comparisons of the Cyclic resistance of
Calcareous Sand Deposit from Puerto
Rico from Seismic Dilatometer (SDMT)
and Seismic Cone Penetration Tests
(SCPTu)
A.C. Morales-Velez, C. D.P. Baxter, M. A.
Pando & L. Brian Anderson
Use of Dilatometer in Unusual Difficult
Soils a Case Study
M. Mulabdic & K. Minazek
Seismic DMT Test in a Non-Text Book
Type Geomaterial
B. P. Rocha, B. A. C. Castro & H. L.
Re-appraisal of the Dilatometer for In-Situ
Assessment of Geotechnical Properties of
Swedish Glacio-Marine Clays
T. Wood