Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Engineering Geology
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/enggeo
SPT blow count vs. shear wave velocity relationship in the structurally
complex formations of the Molise Region (Italy)
Silvia Fabbrocino a,, Giovanni Lanzano b, Giovanni Forte b,
Filippo Santucci de Magistris b, Giovanni Fabbrocino b
a
b
University of Naples Federico II, DiSTAR Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Georesources, Naples, Italy
University of Molise, DiBT Department, Structural and Geotechnical Dynamics Laboratory, StreGa, Campobasso, Italy
a r t i c l e
i n f o
Article history:
Received 11 November 2013
Received in revised form 4 November 2014
Accepted 25 December 2014
Available online 30 December 2014
Keywords:
SPT-N
Shear wave velocity
Structurally complex formations
Empirical correlations
Seismic and geotechnical characterization
Molise (Italy)
a b s t r a c t
The relationship between the shear wave velocity (VS) and the blow number of the Standard Penetration Tests
(NSPT) was investigated with reference to the structurally complex formations located in a wide sector of the
Southern Apennine chain (Molise Region, Italy). Novel NSPTVS correlations were developed, based on a balanced
number of in situ tests coming from the seismic microzonation of the municipalities of Campobasso District and
the seismic vulnerability assessment of strategic road infrastructures. It was proven that available relationships
were not able to t the data in the area of interest, even making the analysis according to the soil grain size classication. This circumstance was related to the nature of the geological formations, which are chaotically built
and affected by complex structuraltextural and lithological characteristics. Hence, in this paper, a rational methodology for an integrated geological and geotechnical assessment of the available eld data based on
lithostratigraphical features was presented and discussed. Three original empirical NSPTVS power function relationships were derived and distinguished depending on the main lithofacies recognized in the Campobasso District, corresponding to Structured Soil Deposit (SSD), All Soils (AS) and Weathered Soils (WS). Their validation
through statistical assessment of data conrmed the relevance of the results and the advantages related to
their use at regional scale, based on an integrated geological and geotechnical approach.
2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
The solution of any problem in civil engineering usually requires the
acquisition of a certain amount of data, such as geometrical size and
shape of the construction, extension of the signicant area for design
and/or assessment of the structures, material properties, intensity measures of natural events and so on. In some circumstances, the data acquisition process is not difcult. Conversely, in the case of geotechnical
applications, the part of the soil that interacts with the construction
and/or area of interest needs to be characterized in terms of geometric,
hydraulic and physicalmechanical properties, generally all a-priori unknown and affected by large uncertainties (EN-1997-1, 2004).
Type, quality and quantity of the geotechnical investigations need to
be planned according to the type of construction, its performance class
and the complexity of the subsoil (EN-1997-1, 2004; NTC, 2008) and
should lead to denition of a reliable geotechnical model that is one of
the key issues for a successful solution of any problem civil engineering.
This topic is particularly relevant in seismic areas, where the subsoil
Corresponding author at: DiSTAR Department, University of Naples Federico II, Via
Mezzocannone, 8, 80134 Napoli, Italy.
E-mail address: silvia.fabbrocino@unina.it (S. Fabbrocino).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.12.016
0013-7952/ 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
G0 VS
85
86
Table 1
Signicant features of existing empirical correlation NSPTVS.
Reference
Country (location)
Japan
Japan (Osaka)
Japan
Japan
Japan
Japan
Imai (1977)
Japan
Geological description
Alluvium
Quaternary and
Pleistocene alluvium
Diluvium
Japan
JRA (1980)
Japan
USA
Japan
USA
USA
China (Shanghai)
Lee (1990)
Taiwan
Japan
Taiwan (Taipei)
Quaternary and
Pleistocene alluvium
Quaternary and
Pleistocene alluvium
Soft Holocene
deposits
Greece
Athanasopoulos (1994)
Greece
Greece
Iyisan (1996)
Turkey (Erzincan)
Kayabali (1996)
Rollins et al. (1998)
Turkey
USA
Alluvium
Holocene
Pleistocene
Greece (Volvi)
Alluvium
Iran (Teheran)
Quaternary alluvium
Turkey (Yenisehir)
Quaternary alluvium
and detritus
India (Delhi)
Alluvial deposits
Turkey (Ankara)
Dikmen (2009)
Turkey (Eskiehir)
Quaternary
Fluvial
Quaternary alluvium
Coastal and
alluvium deposits
Material type
Type
All soils
All soils
Sands
Sands
All soils
All Soils
Sands
All soils
Sand
Clays
Sand
Clays
All soils
Sands
Clays
Clays
Sands
All soils
All soils
Sands
Clay
Sands
Sand
All soils
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
76.00
84.00
32.00
87.00
92.10
81.40
59.40
91.00
80.60
102.00
97.20
114.00
85.35
88.40
86.90
100.00
80.00
61.40
97.00
87.80
107.00
56.40
100.50
116.10
0.330
0.310
0.500
0.360
0.337
0.390
0.470
0.337
0.331
0.292
0.323
0.294
0.348
0.333
0.333
1/3
1/3
0.500
0.314
0.314
0.274
0.500
0.290
0.202
0.490
0.320
0.310
0.270
VS = aNb
57.40
105.60
114.00
121.00
4.74
104.00
138.40
76.20
49.10
76.55
107.60
85.30
121.70
123.00
100.00
105.70
184.20
192.40
51.50
71.20
3.75
63.00
132.00
222.00
145.00
132.00
19.00
22.00
27.00
90.00
90.82
97.89
104.80
131.00
107.60
82.60
79.00
86.00
56.94
37.05
58.00
73.00
44.00
60.00
95.64
VS = aNb60
100.50
83.91
90.75
0.265
0.358
0.304
Sands
Silt
Clays
All soils
Sands
Silt
Clays
All soils
Sands/silts
Clays
All soils
Sands
Clays
Loose sand
Medium sands
Soft clays
Stiff clays
Gravel
All soils
All soils
Sands
Gravels
Gravels
Debris ll
Sands/silts
Clays
All soils
Silts
Clays
All soils
Sands
Clays
All soils
Sands
Clays
All soils
Sands
Silt
All soils
All soils
All soils
Sands
Clays
Silt
All soils
Sands
Clays
All soils
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = a(c + N)b
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = c + aN
VS = a(N + 1)b
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb1
VS = c + aN60
VS = aNb60
b
VS = aN
VS = a(N60)b
VS = aNb
VS = aNb
VS = aNb60
VS = aNb
VS30 = aNb30
VS = aNb
Data
pairs
R2
100
220
943
151
183
100
122
289
0.320
0.719
0.719
0.719
0.868
0.690
0.721
97
59
0.840
0.700
22
44
22
0.620
0.730
0.440
268
221
175.000
0.886
1654
157.100
0.334
0.242
0.240
0.502
0.445
0.360
0.420
0.330
0.290
0.240
0.330
0.170
0.130
0.516
0.440
0.430
0.320
0.060
0.178
0.271
0.850
0.770
0.730
0.309
0.319
0.269
0.260
0.205
0.237
0.430
0.434
0.420
0.428
0.527
0.390
0.330
0.480
0.360
0.301
57
186
105
145
176
65
27
38
87
39
48
87
39
48
74
37
193
82
35
76
200
200
0.691
0.798
0.695
0.820
0.740
0.890
0.730
0.680
0.770
0.810
0.560
0.410
0.590
0.480
0.700
0.750
0.730
0.650
0.750
0.710
0.560
0.750
0.950
0.980
0.940
0.643
0.731
0.750
0.720
0.820
0.710
0.840
0.840
0.930
0.830
87
Table 1 (continued)
Reference
Country (location)
Geological description
Sands
Clays
All soils
Sands
Clay
All soils
Sands
Clay
All soils
Sands
Clays
Silt
Turkey (Erbaa)
Alluvial soils
Pliocene soils
Greece
Quaternary and
Neogene deposits
The most wide-ranging database of Japanese surveys (about 1650 experimental points, comprehensive of all previous records) was analyzed
by Imai and Tonouchi (1982), revealing that clayey soils are generally
characterized by higher VS than sands.
Since the early '80s, a similar assessment was carried out with reference to several areas in the USA, especially to evaluate the liquefaction
susceptibility of alluvium and marine sands in California (Seed and
Idriss, 1981; Seed et al., 1983; Sykora and Stokoe, 1983; Rollins et al.,
1998; Brandenberg et al., 2010). Some of these empirical relationships
are based on energy-corrected SPT blow counts N60 and on
overburden-corrected SPT blow counts (N1)60 (e.g. Seed et al., 1985),
which are generally used for the evaluation of the cyclic strength ratio
CRR in the liquefaction simplied analysis.
On the other hand, in the last decade the enhancement of seismic
microzonation study rened data eld techniques and increased the
availability of VS measures. So, the empirical correlations were differentiated according to the geographic location and the soil type, mainly for
alluvial formations in Greece (Kalteziotis et al., 1992; Pitilakis et al.,
1992; Athanasopoulos, 1994; Raptakis et al., 1995; Pitilakis et al.,
1999; Tsiambaos and Sabatakakis, 2011), Turkey (Iyisan, 1996;
Kayabali, 1996; Hasanebi and Ulusay, 2007; Kokar and Akgn, 2008;
Dikmen, 2009; Akin et al., 2011), India (Hanumantharao and Ramana,
2008; Maheswari et al., 2010; Anbazhagan et al., 2013) and Iran (Jafari
et al., 2002). Most of the empirical laws used for the data regression
were power type, such as:
b
VS a NSPT
Material type
Type
VS = aNbzc
VS = a(N60)b
96.29
83.27
59.44
38.55
78.10
121.80
52.04
140.60
105.70
79.70
112.20
88.80
0.266
0.365
0.109
0.176
0.116
0.101
0.359
0.049
0.327
0.365
0.324
0.370
Data
pairs
R2
0.830
0.920
0.426
0.481
0.350
0.216
0.177
0.232
137
63
30
30
6
19
416
78
301
37
0.890
0.940
0.920
0.940
0.980
0.890
0.600
0.630
0.610
0.750
88
which the orogenic activity juxtaposed several paleogeographical domains, characterized by different lithological properties. A number of
authors proposed several models of its late paleogeography, identifying
more or less complex systems of carbonate platforms and pelagic basins
(e.g., Selli, 1962; Ogniben, 1969; D'Argenio et al., 1972; Ippolito et al.,
1975; Mostardini and Merlini, 1986; Sgrosso, 1988, 1998; Patacca and
Scandone, 2007). The Campobasso District area, where a large number
of geotechnical tests are available, occupies the external portion of
chain and it represents the foreland thrust belt system. The complex geological setting of this sector can be simplied into three main units composed of carbonate successions, siliciclastic ysch deposits and marine to
alluvial mainly clastic successions (e.g., Patacca et al., 1992; Patacca and
Scandone, 2007).
Fig. 1 shows a simplied map of geolithological complexes recognized in the area of interest. Carbonate platform units crop out extensively in the south-western part of the Molise Region, in the so-called Matese
Mountains, and include only the south western edge of the Campobasso
District. The stratigraphic succession is composed of Mesozoic dolomites
in the lower part and limestones in the upper one. At the top, the sedimentary succession is closed by Miocene transgressive terrigenous sediments in facies of continental shelf and bypass made of carbonate and
turbiditic deposits (Cusano and Longano formations, Pietraroja ysch)
(Patacca and Scandone, 2007; Bonardi et al., 2009). Siliciclastic ysch deposits represent the most widespread geolithological complex, distinguishable from the north-east of the carbonate complex up to the front
of the thrust belt, close to the current coast line. It includes all allochthonous siliciclastic deposits of the thrust top and foredeep basins. Such
complex involves Molise Sannio basin formations, the Fortore Unit and
Fig. 1. Simplied geolithological complex map of the study area and location of the experimental NSPTVS pairs.
of the chain (Tortorici, 1975). These ysch deposits are partitioned into
two members: the composition of the lower is for the most part argillaceous; the upper is arenaceous-conglomeratic. The San Bartolomeo
Flysch often overlies the Fortore Unit, composed of pelagic sediments
(varicolored clays and shales) intercalated with ne carbonate turbidites.
The so-called Samnitic Nappe deposits are also noteworthy. Their origin is still object of debate: they are mainly characterized by the Variegated Clays Formation interlayered with calcareous quartz arenite
inclusions. Finally, in addition to the cover deposits, in the eastern and
periadriatic sector of the Campobasso District, Plio-Pleistocene transgressiveregressive cycles crop out. The whole succession was described
due to several stratigraphic logs derived from deep drilling data (ViDEPI
Project), in which the Apulian carbonate bedrock (TriasCreta) was
reached. A Plio-Pleistocene terrigenous sequence thick more than
2000 m is in onlap on the carbonates. It consists of the Montesecco
Clays Formation (PlioceneCalabrian?) composed of gray-bluish marly
and silty clay, which passes upward to the Serracapriola Sands and
Campomarino Conglomerates. They also represent the closure of the regressive cycle.
Molise Region is exposed at seismic risk, since it is embedded within
well-identied seismogenic zones (Meletti and Valensise, 2004;
Morasca et al., 2008; Valensise et al., 2004). The detailed description of
the regional seismicity is out of the scope of the present paper, but the
interested reader can nd further details elsewhere (Caccavale et al.,
2010).
5. Molise Region geotechnical test database and NSPTVS relations
A large number of geotechnical in situ and laboratory tests were
executed for the study of the seismic microzonation of all the municipalities belonging to the district of Campobasso (Molise Region,
20032009). Available datasets include stratigraphic logs, Standard
Penetration tests (SPT), laboratory tests on soil specimens (triaxial UU
or RC tests), and Down-Hole tests (DH). Fig. 2 reports typical results of
89
the investigation at a test site. Those results were collected and analyzed, providing a very dense database of available geotechnical surveys
for this relatively small Regional district. Further data were made available in the framework of a wide regional program aimed at evaluating
the seismic vulnerability of strategic buildings and road infrastructures
(Di Carluccio et al., 2009; Evangelista et al., 2011) and from the construction of a 3-D subsoil model in the coastal part of the investigated
regional district (Fabbrocino et al., submitted for publication).
As a result, a large database of soil investigations was set with a considerable potential in the geological and geotechnical characterization of
the structurally complex formations of the district. Indeed, it was already
used for the construction of a regional EC8 soil class map (Forte et al.,
2013a) and for the study of the earthquake-induced landslide susceptibility (Forte et al., 2013b). For the purpose of this study, the location of
sites where NSPTVS pairs were collected is shown in Fig. 1. Despite the
uneven distribution of the dataset, the investigations characterize all
the soil types recognizable in the Campobasso District, or, more precisely,
all the identied geolithological complexes. Overall, a total of 160 locations were considered, where both the DH and SPT tests were performed.
The borings reach a maximum depth of 50 m. SPTs were executed during
the drilling and, usually, in each borehole, two or three blow count measurements were taken in a depth range variable from 2 to 30 m. From the
preliminary dataset, 142 NSPT measurements were rejected, because the
number of blows was greater than 100. On the other hand, the achieved
DH tests recorded the rst arrival time of shear wave at 1 m depth intervals. Finally, 286 NSPTVS couples, all measured at the same depth and at
the same site, were assumed as a reliable reference dataset to assess
novel and specic empirical relationships to t the Campobasso District
geological and geotechnical features.
5.1. Empirical correlations NSPTVS based on the grain size approach
The rst step of the analysis consisted of the superposition of the
NSPTVS pairs for the Campobasso District with the most common and
Fig. 2. Main results of integrated borehole microzonation data (stratigraphic log, shear wave velocity prole and the SPT prole): an example in the village of Mafalda (CB).
90
applicable empirical correlation laws for all soils (Ohta and Goto,
1978; Yokota et al., 1991; Kalteziotis et al., 1992; Iyisan, 1996; Jafari
et al., 2002; Hasanebi and Ulusay, 2007; Dikmen, 2009; Akin et al.,
2011), as shown in Fig. 3. It is clear the large dispersion of the experimental data and the inability of any aforementioned correlation relationship to characterize the terrain of interest. Technical literature
reports several NSPTVS regression equations related to the different
soil types. Hence, the integrated borehole experimental data were analyzed in order to better dene the soil grain size classes in the dataset.
The available stratigraphic log descriptions and laboratory tests were
compared in order to validate the results.
In this way, the database was divided according to the main component of the grading curves: the larger amount of data (58%) referred to
clayey soil samples, followed by silty (23%) and sandy ones (11%). A
very few pairs of measures (8%) referred to gravelly soils, and so they
were neglected. Then, for each grain size class the correlations were developed for uncorrected number of blows NSPT, according to the background technical literature. As shown in Fig. 4, statistical correlations,
between uncorrected number of blows NSPT and relating VS measurements, and their coefcients of determination, R2, were evaluated by a
power law, for sandy (Fig. 4a), silty (Fig. 4b) and clayey soils (Fig. 4c) respectively. In spite of the fact that the Standard Penetration Test is more
appropriate for coarse-graded soil rather than for ne-graded material,
it seems that there is no correlation between NSPT and VS for the sandy
materials, while two relationships can be derived for silty and clayey
soils. This is probably due to the limited amount of sand data available
for the empirical correlation (32 pairs). For medium and ne graded
soils the shear wave velocity (m/s) could eventually be obtained from
the following relationship:
0:192
VS 149:3NSPT
2
R 0:362r 0:571
VS 110:5NSPT
2
R 0:369r 0:604 :
Fig. 4. VSNSPT empirical correlations based on grain size approach: a) sandy, b) silty and
c) clayey soils.
Fig. 3. Comparison between experimental values and the most common empirical NSPTVS
correlations for all soils.
It is clear that the same geolithological complex can be characterized by a high variability of geotechnical properties, while the grain
size classication plays a minor role in the improvement of the correlations between NSPT and VS. Conversely, a relevant role may be ascribed to the lithostratigraphical features of the geolithological
complexes. An insight into the integrated borehole data and particularly into stratigraphic logssee Fig. 2was made to identify the geological formation related to each experimental pair of NSPT and VS
values. They were allocated on the 1:100,000 Molise Geological Map
by Festa et al. (2006), which represents the existing geological outline
of the Campobasso District area at a t scale of representation. The recognized geological formations are summarized in Table 2. The number
of experimental NSPTVS data pairs associated with the identied geological formations is shown in Fig. 5. All geolithological complexes
were characterized with the exception of the detrital and carbonate
onessee Fig. 1such as the most widespread formations, namely
ysch sequences, and were signicantly represented. The combination
of such data and information derived from the background literature
as well as from a geological survey was able to distinguish within the
examined formations the structuraltextural and lithological features
of each horizon related to analyzed NSPTVS value pairs.
Particular attention was paid to local conditions of outcropping sedimentary deposits, such as weathering processes, tectonic setting, hydrodynamic models, and anthropic impact, which can modify intrinsic
properties of recognized layers and inuence the geotechnical characteristics of the same horizon. For instance, the integrated boreholes derived from the investigations in the Mafaldasee also Fig. 2, Santa Croce
di Magliano and Casacalenda villages, were correlated with the succession of the Faeto Flysch (Fig. 6) as it is representative of the main
lithofacies detectable in the Campobasso District. The Faeto Flysch consists of a calcareous marly turbiditic succession. The lower part was
characterized by a calcareousmarly facies; the upper part acquired a
91
Table 2
Summary of the lithological descriptions of geological formations cropping out in the investigation sites.
Geological
formations
Description
Outcropping sites
Campomarino conglomerates
Montesecco clays
Gessopalena gypsums
Tona formation
Campobasso conglomerates
Sant'Elena Flysch
Pietraroja Flysch
Frosolone Unit
Tullo Unit
Fortore Unit
Cercemaggiore formation
Variegated clays
92
Fig. 5. Number of experimental NSPTVS data pairs per each geological formation.
0:272
2
R 0:681r 0:825
2
R 0:748r 0:865
2
R 0:607r 0:774 :
relationships between the shear wave velocity and the SPT blownumber compared with the soil grain size classication; and 2) the reliability and signicance of the original relationships based on the
lithostratigraphical features of the area.
5.3.1. Issue #1
A preliminary check on NSPT data quality was performed. Firstly, for
each available measurement, the normalized value N1 was computed to
remove the dependence of the blow-number from the overburden
stress. Specically, following Idriss and Boulanger (2004):
6
7
N1
pa
0
v
!0:7840:0768p
N
1
NSPT
in which, pa is the atmospheric pressure and v is the overburden pressure. The latter was evaluated by assuming the two boundary conditions related to fully saturated soils and fully dry soils. Then, the
normalized SPT blow-number data were grouped into three different
soil classes, respectively clay, silt and sand. The corresponding boxchart is shown in Fig. 9. A general increasing trend of the normalized
blowcount depending on the increase of the average soil grain size
can be observed. Furthermore, the data present a quite large dispersion
that becomes more signicant for the coarser materials. Such distribution of experimental normalized blow number N1 is consistent with
the remarks reported in the previous sections. The grain size classication has slight or negligible signicance in order to improve the evaluation of correlations between the two examined parameters (NSPTVS).
5.3.2. Issue #2
The lithostratigraphical analysis of geolithological complexes documented in the Campobasso District provided an improvement of the investigated mathematical relations. It was conrmed not only by higher
values of correlation coefcients, but also by the detailed statistical representation given by the additional parameters in Table 3 that are:
(a) The number of samples; (b) The coefcient of determination, R2;
(c) The Mean Absolute Error of the prediction (MAE); (d) The Sum of
93
Fig. 6. Correlation between integrated borehole data and lithofacies. An example for the Faeto Flysch.
Squared Errors of the prediction (SSE); and (e) The Root Mean Squared
Error of the prediction (RMSE).
The correlation value (Value), the standard error (SE) and the upper
and lower boundaries of the 95% condence interval (CI) are reported
for multiplier (a) and exponent (b)see Eq. (2). The parameters MAE,
SSE and SMSE are error estimators, so they can be helpful to measure
how close predictions are to the outcomes: the lower the parameter,
the more the model approaches experimental data. According to the
Fig. 8. Comparison between the novel empirical relationships derived from the
lithostratigraphical approach and the existing ones.
94
where Vs,c is the shear wave velocity calculated by Eqs. (5)(7) and Vs,m
is the experimental measured value. Fig. 11 shows that Eq. (5) for SSD
provides about 90% of the predicted values within a 20% error margin;
Eq. (6) for AS gives about 97% of predicted values within a 19% error
margin; nally Eq. (7) for WS leads to about 90% of values predicted
within a 20% error margin. It is thus conrmed that the three proposed
correlations offer a good estimation of investigated parameter. The
comparison between Vs,c and Vs,m derived from the normalized consistency ratio Cd strengthens such comment. The normalized consistency
ratio, see Fig. 12, was evaluated as:
Cd
Vs;c Vs;m
:
NSPT
10
condence interval of the expected values. Due to the good ability to the
power model to t the data, relatively narrow bands can be seen in the
graphs.
Finally, in order to check the capability of the three novel empirical
correlations for shear wave velocity prediction, the relative error Er, in
terms of percentage, was evaluated as shown below:
Er 100
Vs;c Vs;m
Vs;c
The present paper reports a study focused on the assessment of reliable relationships between the shear wave velocity VS and the number
of blows derived from SPT (NSPT), in structurally complex formations
characterizing the geological terrains of the Southern Apennine chain
(Italy). Based on a relative large number of in situ tests, available for
the Campobasso District in the Molise Region (Central Italy), novel
power-type relationships were presented. They were derived following
an original methodology that combines geological and geotechnical
knowledge and aims at overcoming the limitations shown by the conventional grain size approach. In particular, a lithostratigraphical approach was developed in order to account for the structural textural
and lithological features of the examined chaotically built formations,
Table 3
Main statistical parameters for the proposed regression equations.
Relation
WS
AS
SSD
Samples
63
118
105
R2
0.607
0.748
0.681
MAE
(m/s)
SSE
(m/s)2
RMSE
(m/s)
Coefcient a (m/s)
Value
SE
Lower CI
Upper CI
Exponent b
Value
SE
Lower CI
Upper CI
17.938
23.636
43.957
34,023.174
97,012.695
305,425.534
23.617
28.919
54.455
78.593
90.353
104.552
8.753
6.175
10.328
61.122
78.141
84.093
96.081
102.565
125.000
0.272
0.317
0.385
0.030
0.018
0.028
0.212
0.281
0.330
0.331
0.353
0.441
Fig. 10. Novel NSPTVS correlations and relative 95% condence interval of expected mean values: a) SSD; b) AS; c) WS).
95
Fig. 11. Scaled relative errors of VS for the novel correlations based on the lithostratigraphical approach.
Fig. 12. Normalized consistency ratio Cd for (a) Structured Soil Deposit (SSD), (b) All Soils
(AS) and (c) Weathered Soils (WS).
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