Investigation of soil structure and properties based on engineering seismic survey data for seismic microzoning in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Abstract

An important role in engineering geology belongs to geophysical methods that enable effective study of soil structure and properties to determine seismic microzoning when designing buildings and structures in industrial and civil engineering. To assess the effectiveness of exploration geophysics methods, the territories of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Horizon cinema in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Russia) were selected. The fine structure and velocity parameters of soils were conducted on those sites using seismic 2D-profiling. The purpose of the work was to obtain and monitor changes in the physical and mechanical parameters of soils in their natural rock bedding, both horizontally and vertically. Seismicity analysis of the sites was performed using multiwave seismic exploration methods based on the recording of longitudinal, transversal, and converted waves with different polarizations. A Laccolith 24M digital 24-channel seismic survey station was used for seismic exploration. A pulsed non-explosive source (tamper) was used to excite elastic vibrations. The types of recorded waves and the nature of their oscillations were determined using both traditional methods and theoretical calculations of wave fields using a technique for constructing a seismic section based on the observed wave field. The study resulted in the construction of seismic sections, the analysis of which was subsequently confirmed by drilling wells to depths of 20–25 meters. Conducted studies showed impossibility to select a single unique site for drilling a well that would allow to provide a detailed description of the site as a whole. Therefore, seismic profiling was recognized as the most effective method enabling parameter measurement for the entire site, both laterally and at depth.