Performance of Nondestructive Parallel Seismic Testing Method in Determining Depth of Shallow Foundations

Abstract

Parallel Seismic (PS) is considered a versatile method capable of determining the specifications of unknown bridge foundations made of common materials such as wood, steel, and reinforced concrete. Although many studies have provided broad information of various theoretical and practical aspects of the Parallel Seismic method, they do not provide information about the performance of this method on short piles and shallow foundations. Challenges and difficulties in determining the depth of such foundations have been discussed in this study. To do so, PS tests were performed on a short pier with four adjacent boreholes and the adverse effect of background noise on the obtained data is discussed as one of the main sources of difficulty. The results of this study showed that the PS testing method does not seem to be a successful method in determining the characteristics of short piers and shallow foundations. This conclusion was supported by results obtained from conducting PS tests on a highway bridge pile.