Application of P Waves in Subsurface Investigation

Analysis of any civil engineering problems or for a decision making, indirect methods of investigation are relied upon many times. Indirect methods are used due its rapidness, it can give detailed and continuous solutions for the problems. It can cover large areas including inaccessible regions and are economical. For the Indirect methods of investigation P waves are extensively used. P wave has been used directly or indirectly. It can be applied it in all stages viz. planning and design, investigation, constructions and rehabilitation stages. Since P wave is the fastest kind of seismic wave and as it can move through a medium made up of gases, liquids, or solids, it can be applied in any type of strata. Due to the above characteristics P-waves have immense applications in investigation of different problems in Civil engineering, Earthquake Engineering etc. This paper describes about the application of P waves in detail in various civil engineering problems with the case histories and its possible future applications in subsurface investigation.