Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) to Estimate the Shear Wave Velocity for Engineering Characterization of Soils at Hawassa Town, Southern Ethiopia

Site characterization is a prerequisite for the successful and economic design of engineering structures and earthworks by providing geological information for any proposed project. Until now, no detail study has been carried out on the site characterization and classification using shear wave velocity (Vs) up to the top 30 m depth in Hawassa town. For this study, multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) was used to determine the variation of Vs for a proper civil engineering design in the town. In addition, vertical electrical sounding (VES) and standard penetration test (SPT) were employed to characterize the near-surface materials. The Vs30 map was prepared for Hawassa town using the estimated Vs30 values which ranges from 248.9 m/s to 371.3 m/s while the SPT-N values were ranges from 5bpf to 50bpf. The correlation of Vs and SPT-N values has been done by considering both corrected and uncorrected SPT-N values. The VES result showed that groundwater is found at a shallow depth. The correlation of Vs and SPT-N value was validated using regression model. The 1D Vs profile and 2D cross-section showed low Vs at a shallow depth. The near-surface soils of the town are classified based on the Vs30 as site class C (stiff soil and soft rock) and D class (stiff soils) according to the NEHRP (Natural Earthquake hazards Reduction Program) and as subsoil classes B and C according to the Eurocode 8. The geotechnical tests also showed that the soils in the study area are silty sand, sand and silty sand with some gravel. The low Vs values observed at a shallow depth should be given much attention during foundation design for the stability of civil engineering structures.