Correlations between Shear Wave Velocity and Geotechnical Parameters for Jiangsu Clays of China

The shear wave velocity ($V_{\text{s}}$) is an important factor reflecting the dynamic characteristics of soil. Measured $V_{\text{s}}$ values are always used in combination with laboratory parameters (e.g., effective confining pressure, ${\sigma }_{\text{m}}^{\prime }$, and void ratio, e) and in situ penetration parameters from the standard penetration test (SPT) and piezocone penetration testing (CPTU). This study aims not only to estimate V_s based on correlations with other parameters in the absence of site-specific data, but also to outline relationships for estimation of soil properties. A database of seismic CPTU (SCPTU) and soil properties information for Jiangsu clays in East China was used to develop correlations between $V_{\text{s}}$ and geotechnical parameters (vertical effective stress, unit weight, preconsolidation stress, site-specific parameters, undrained shear strength, and CPTU net cone resistance). Laboratory tests were carried out on thin-walled tube samples and high-quality block samples to measure soil properties. The results showed that the predicted values of $V_{\text{s}}$ were in good accordance with measured values from field tests, especially the V_s values predicted from the CPTU net cone resistance. The relationship between $V_{\text{s}}$ and the undrained shear strength showed better performance than the others. The good relationships between $V_{\text{s}}$ and geotechnical parameters could be used to interpret engineering properties of Jiangsu clays for site investigation.