GEOTECHNICAL Characterization

The estimation of the strong motion parameters for the shallow geological formations is essential for engineering seismology and soil mechanics. For this reason, the sites of the accelerometer network must cover different geological settings. There is a plethora of studies which verify the correlation between site conditions and earthquake damages. The study of the site effects is essential for 1) the estimation of the influence of dynamic loads on geotechnical phenomena related to the static stress field variation and 2) the proposal of normalized elastic spectra for construction planning.

In geotechnical engineering, apart from static loads, dynamic ones are also applied e.g. mechanical oscillations, seismic loads etc. Soil properties related to dynamic loads are shear wave velocity (Vs), shear modulus (G) attenuation factor (D) and Poisson ratio (ν). There is a variety of laboratory or in situ methods which investigate the soil behavior under conditions of low or high stress level. In this research project, both geotechnical and geophysical methods are proposed for the estimation of the mechanical soil parameters. The plethora of parameters encountered in geotechnical problems requires both laboratory and in situ tests and relevant boreholes.

This project will focus on:

1. the influence of dynamic loads on geotechnical phenomena related to the static stress field variation,
2. the estimation of the site effects in case of seismic loads and
3. the proposal of normalized elastic spectra for construction planning and their comparison with the Greek Seismic Code (GSC2000) and the Eurocode (EC8).

The Project is 100% financed by the Operational Programme "Education and Lifelong Learning" under the framework of NSRF 2007-2013.