Deformation of landfill from measurements of shear wave velocity and damping - Discussion

The author presents a method for using in-situ seismic test results to estimate the short-term deformations of geomaterials. The effort to introduce rational algorithms for the evaluation of settlements of shallow foundations on the basis of measured physical quantities is noteworthy, considering that current geotechnical design, especially on small-scale projects, is often based on empirical correlations between settlements and penetration test results that rarely reflect the actual site conditions. In this context the development of simple procedures based on the results of relatively inexpensive in-situ tests including seismic tests is of paramount importance. Nevertheless it is important to account properly for the physics of wave propagation when inferring material parameters from seismic test results. In this respect, the writers would like to make some observations related to the methods used to evaluate the shear wave velocity and material damping ratio of the solid waste from surface wave measurements. This discussion is focused on and restricted to the aspects of the paper related to the use of surface wave methods to estimate the waste properties.