Effect of weathering in the dynamic properties of gabbro soil

Abstract

This work shows the variation of the shear modulus (G) and the damping fraction (b) in accordance with the confinement level and the degree of weathering valued in field in a soil profile made up basically by gabbro saprolite, that belongs to the Gabbro of San Diego unit that outcrops in the Aburra valley towards the east of the city of Medellin, (Colombia). For such study unaltered samples extracted from a manual excavation of 18,0 meters were used, these were evaluated through cyclic triaxial compression tests and resonant column in non drained condition. Finally, the study is concluded carrying out an analysis of the seismic response of the terrain through a uni-dimensional wave propagation model.