Method for precisely determining shear wave velocity of soil from bender element tests

The piezoceramic bender element system for determining shear wave velocity was developed in the HX100 static/dynamic triaxial apparatus. The method for precisely determining shear wave velocity of soil from bender element tests was studied,and the dispersion of shear wave velocity was investigated.The values of shear wave velocity from bender element tests were compared with those of resonant column tests in Drnevich LongTor apparatus. It is concluded that the nearfield effect and overshooting during the bender element tests can be eliminated by using suitable wave and rational frequency of input signals, and the values of shear wave velocity and the very smallstrain shear modulus can be precisely determined. It is also concluded that the values of shear wave velocity from the bender element tests do not vary with frequencies of input signals.