Inversion of SASW dispersion curves based on maximum flexibility coefficients in the wave number domain

Spectral analysis of surface waves (SASW) is a nondestructive in-situ testing method that is used to determine stiffness profiles of soil and pavement sites based on dispersion characteristics of Rayleigh-type surface waves.Inversion of the Rayleigh wave dispersion curve of a site provides information on the variation of shear-wave velocity with depth. In the inversion procedures currently used for SASW tests, the field dispersion curve is matched with a theoretical dispersion curve obtained for the fundamental mode of surface wave propagation.In order to overcome difficulties associated with the presence of multi-modes in SASW signals, a new inversion method based on the maximum vertical flexibility coefficient is introduced in this paper. Unlike root-searching methods, the new method easily identifies the predominant propagation modes. In this new approach, the simplex method is used to match field and theoretical dispersion curves automatically. The purpose of this paper is to present the details of the new method and to demonstrate its advantages.