Borehole Seismic Test and Seismic Surface Waves Survey for Site-Specific Investigation at Al Layyah Power Generation Plant, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Integrated geophysical seismic measurements have been carried out at Al Layyah Power Generation Plant site, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates to determine the geotechnical properties of soil/rocks. The CHST is performed within a group of 3 boreholes, while a DHST is conducted at one site to determine a velocity profile. Active Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) data is carried out along one MASW line with a total length of 40 m. The measurements have been carried out between boreholes BH-03 and BH-04 along the asphaltic road at the study site. The estimating of dynamic soil properties from the outcomes of seismic surveys is discussed utilizing the seismic velocity acquired from the three locations. The processing and analysis of data and correlation with geological information are described based on the comparative evaluates of the corresponding 1D Vs profiles; it is concluded that CHST and DHST data are generally more reliable than MASW data. 1D Vs profiles obtained from MASW, CHST, and DHST are compared and the average Vs of the top 30 m (Vs30) is computed. There are similar up to 30 m of Vs profiles gained in all seismic tests. Consequently, a good quality recording, processing, and interpretation of MASW data allows dependable results and the same classification of the soil. It indicates that the Vp and Vs have a good correlation with the borehole log. Moreover, the site soil classification is found to be C (Very dense soil and soft rock profile) according to the Dubai Municipality Building Code (DIBC-2004) and the International Building Code (IBC 2009).