Impact and cyclic shaking on loose sand properties in laminar box using gap sensors

This paper focuses on using high-frequency GAP-SENSORs (GSs), accelerometers, and load cells in a laminar shear box (LSB) filled with loose Toyoura sand to understand the effects of impact loads and cyclic shaking at 1-G on soil properties. The shear wave velocity at small strain (Vs) was calculated directly from first arrival reference using displacement time-history of two GSs under impact loading. Moreover, from first peak using the reduced deformation amplitude technique, damping ratio was calculated. In addition, shaking table tests were performed under harmonic loading with amplitude of acceleration inside the model ground varying from 0.02g to 1g. The frequencies of excitation varied from 1Hz to 10Hz. GSs and inside accelerometers were used to directly measure the outside lateral deformation and shear stress at different elevations of LSB, respectively. Results show that the shear modulus (G) and the damping ratio (D) behavior of model sand are generally consistent with the behavior presented by similar tests using only accelerometers. In addition, damping ratio increases as frequency loading increases. Characteristic changes in two shear stress components in shaking loading conditions were also investigated using high precision inside load cells. •Seismic response of sand in laminar box was studied using GSs, accelerometers and load cells.•High-frequency GSs were used to measure the wave velocity, damping ratio and shear strain.•Amplitude decay of the displacement time-history by tamping was used for measuring damping ratio.•High frequency (>5Hz) strong motions (>0.35g) are responsible for surface damage.•For surface damage, direction of the principal stress axis, β, is higher than ϕ′.