Dynamic properties of Soil

Dynamic Properties of Champlain Sea Sediments

Dr. Motazedian was one of the lead researchers of an ongoing NSERC-CRD project, in collaboration with HYDRO QUEBEC, Groupe Qualitas Inc., Natural Resources Canada, Laval University, University of Waterloo, and Carleton University, designed to investigate the dynamic properties of postglacial sediments (Leda clay) in Eastern Canada. In this CRD project (2012-2016), they performed laboratory tests for different levels of strain on Leda clay samples. Their Leda clay samples were collected with a stainless steel, thin-walled, wide diameter Shelby tube and block samples to avoid soil disturbance. The geophysical/geotechnical measurements were performed by Drs. Savathalian (Carleton University), LeBoeuf (Laval University), Cascante (University of Waterloo), Hunter (GSC) and Pugin (GSC). As a part of their CRD project, 20 Leda clay samples with 200-millimetre diameters were drilled from boreholes in Leda clay and are being tested to understand the dependence of shear modulus, damping and shear-wave velocity on frequency and different strain levels; these results will be essential to seismic basin modelling and to the geotechnical community. This line of research is aimed at providing a region-specific model of seismic soil amplification for Eastern Canada.