A miniature falling weight device for non destructive characterization of soils in the centrifuge
Résumé
Non-intrusive and non-destructive techniques are used for characterizing multilayer soil models in the centrifuge. Based on the spectral analysis surface waves analysis, a miniature falling weight-type (FW) device is developed for centrifuge testing. A description of the mini-FW with application to characterize homogeneous and bilayer models is presented. The mini-FW principle consists of the fall in a steel ball generating vibrations within the centrifuged models. These vibrations are recorded by accelerometers placed on the model's surface. On condition that the vibrations remain within the first five upper centimeters in order to avoid near-field effects, the results obtained for both wave velocity values and location of the layer interfaces agree satisfactorily with already available data.