ABSTRACT
This chapter presents some applications of surface wave tests for site characterization. The aim is to give an overview of the processes described in previous chapters with some examples, which will be presented step by step. First, simple datasets will be presented, for which it is possible to compare different processing and inversion techniques. This is not always the case; in some circumstances, it is not easy to process the experimental data because of several reasons:
• Inadequate signal-to-noise ratio • Influence of higher modes, which are difficult to identify • Influence of body waves • Discontinuous retrieval of the dispersion curve over the frequency
range of interest • Ambiguities due to lack of resolution and spatial aliasing
These aspects necessitate some experience and engineering judgment and can cause the results to be less reliable (increasing relevance of the nonuniqueness of the solution). It is almost impossible to provide a comprehensive picture of complex datasets, and there is no substitute for experience and engineering judgment in the analysis of experimental data. Accurate design of the experimental setup and the use of adequate equipment and field procedures are prerequisites for obtaining reliable results.
