Mean S-wave coda quality factors (mean-Qc) were estimated from active ultrasonic transmission (UT) measurements acquired during the STIMTEC project in the URL Reiche Zeche (Saxony, Germany). We used S-coda waves of 88 selected UT measurements carried out in 3 differently oriented boreholes (BH10, BH12, BH16) to estimate the spatial change of the coda quality factor in the targeted rock volume, an anisotropic metamorphic gneiss. We also analysed temporal variation in attenuation before and after hydraulic stimulations performed in two boreholes (BH10, BH17). We formed in total 8 UT groups (see data table "2022-004_Blanke-and-Boese_mean_UT_event_locations") from neighbouring UT measurements within different depths and from separated time intervals (see also Tab. 1 in Blanke et al. 2023), and compare mean-Qc estimates of centre frequencies ranging 3-21 kHz of octave-width frequency bands. Our results show a characteristic frequency-dependence and we find that mean-Qc estimates reveal temporal-variations of attenuation more significantly than those obtained from velocity measurements. The temporal variations are strongly connected to hydraulic stimulation activities resulting in a reduction of the coda quality factor where AE events occurred. Analysis of mean-Qc estimates after a temporal resting phase (with no activity in the rock volume) suggests that frequencies > 15 kHz indicate healing of small-scale fractures induced by injections. The study shows that coda analysis is a powerful tool for the detection of damage zones and for monitoring changes of the local fracture network within reservoirs important for exploitation or underground storage of gases and liquids.
Seismic wave propagation in granular soils can induce large strain amplitudes in case of strong earthquakes. Seismic motions are irregular in frequency content and in amplitude, and have three different components in orthogonal directions. In this context, the main objective of this PhD research deals with nonlinear effects observed in granular soils under such complex loadings. A dynamic triaxial press was developed for dry and undrained saturated sand samples. Axial and lateral stresses can be applied independently with large amplitudes for various loading shapes. An innovative laser-based non-contact measurement technique was developed to continuously monitor the sample radius Dry and undrained cyclic tests performed on Leman Sand at various frequencies from 0.1 to 6.5 Hz show that the behaviour of this granular material is frequency-dependent at medium to large strains. Sand stiffness, which depends on stress conditions, seems to influence the extent of frequency effects on soil behaviour: for tests with lower stiffness, the soil response to low frequency is significantly amplified compared to the high frequency range. The overall rate-sensitivity may be enhanced by the angularity of the grains. Other cyclic undrained saturated tests on Leman Sand demonstrate that the superposition of two different loadings, one axial and one lateral (bidirectional tests), induce coupling effects in the nonlinear soil response. Experimental results are finally modelled with the linear equivalent method and with a multi-mechanism elastoplastic model (ECP Hujeux). Nonlinear effects observed in laboratory experiments, and particularly the increase of strain amplitude leading to cyclic liquefaction of dense sand, are well captured by the elastoplastic model. Assessing the behaviour of granular soils under earthquake loadings clearly requires to take into account the nonlinear features of sand behaviour in terms of pore pressure generation and strain amplitude.