New device to measure the shear wave velocity of soil samples

In order to study the correlation between shear wave velocity of soils and their triaxial shear test mechanics index, a new transducer is developed on the basis of torsion vibration principle. It can be used to measure shear wave velocity of soil samples in triaxial cell. Its work frequency is 5 kHz, which is almost 10 times lower than that of the same kind of shear wave velocity measurement device used at present. As a result, the transducer has very high transmitting energy so that it can be used to measure shear wave velocity of soft clays and saturated loose sands. Furthermore, the arrival time of shear wave passing through samples can be determined easily and shear wave velocity of soils can be measured by using it because its measurement signal has no polarized direction and disturbance of compressive wave. According to the working principle of the new device, the transducers used in other static or cyclic triaxial test apparatus can also be developed easily to construct new combined shear wave velocity and triaxial test systems.