Experimental investigation of dynamic shear stiffness and damping ratio characteristics of marine soils in Lingdingyang Bay, China
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Shear wave velocity ( V s ), maximum dynamic shear modulus ( G max ), dynamic shear modulus ratio ( G / G max ), and damping ratio ( l ) are critical parameters for determining seismic ground motion characteristics in submarine sites. Based on the V s profiles measured from boreholes in a specific marine area, this study investigated the applicability of existing empirical equations (linking V s with soil depth, H ) for marine soils in this region. Laboratory resonant column tests were conducted to analyze variations in G max , G / G max , and l at different depths ( H ). The results demonstrated that the quadratic polynomial relationship between V s and H for terrestrial soils is applicable to sandy soils in the bay but not to cohesive marine soils in the same area. By incorporating soil density ( ρ ), a new V s prediction equation suitable for cohesive marine soils in the bay was established. Additionally, marine soils exhibited low shear modulus and high damping ratios, with reduced nonlinearity and hysteresis effects as H increased, leading to higher G and lower l . Analysis based on the Davidenkov model revealed that parameters α and β are insensitive to H , while the characteristic strain g 0 increases linearly with H . These findings provide reliable references for the prediction of V s and the evaluation of dynamic properties of marine soils in the Lingdingyang Bay.
Source: Scientific Reports
Authors: Yanshen Wu, Bo Qin, Yushun Fu, Qi Wu
Institution: Nanjing Tech University
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
Award: G196519288
OpenAlex ID: W7135079591