We seek to identify reliable and inexpensive geotechnical survey methods to determine shear wave velocity (Vs) structure, for use in site effect studies and building codes of earthquake proned developing countries such as Jamaica. Two microtremor survey techniques spatial autocorrelation (SPAC) and centerless circular array (CCA) along with seismic survey technique multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) were identified as suitable candidates for testing.
For our test site we selected Yoshino Park, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, which suffered liquefaction damage during “The 2011 Off the Pacific Tohoku Earthquake”. As our study site had liquefaction damage, the liquefaction potential was estimated using the factor of safety (Fs) method and the Vs from our velocity structure results. Both the liquefaction potential (Fs: 0.077-0.32) and the probability of liquefaction occurrence were very high (0.9 to 1.0).
These exploration methods and Fs-method for estimating liquefaction potential would be affordable and applicable in Jamaica.