Consolidation parameters are usually determined in the laboratory with oedometer tests in earth gravity conditions (1 g). However, performing the test is very time-consuming. Although dynamic approaches in which higher accelerations are applied have been developed as an alternative to the static approaches to reduce the duration of consolidation tests, these methods are expensive and require huge centrifuges. Moreover, the focus for these centrifuges is more on research than on practical applications. This study discusses the applicability of a small-sized centrifuge device in consolidation tests. The particular device developed for this study is a very small centrifuge compared to other examples around the world. The results revealed that employing this device in the tests reduced test duration to a couple of hours. Identical soil samples with a zero disturbance were prepared in the laboratory and used in the experiments. A new parameter, equivalent centrifuge load (Wce), was defined to correlate the results from the proposed approach with the conventional consolidation-test results. An empirical relationship was developed to transform the axial strain (ϵ)–equivalent centrifuge load (Wce) dataset obtained from the centrifuge tests to ϵ–effective stress (σ′) data pairs. The empirical relationship could predict the virgin compression line with a high level of accuracy while it predicts the preconsolidation stress (σ^′_p) with moderate accuracy. These relationships were applied to natural soil samples, and the findings are very promising.

In the earthquakes that occurred in the Pazarcık (Mw = 7.7) and Elbistan (Mw = 7.6) districts of Kahramanmaraş Province on 6 February 2023, many buildings collapsed in the Hayrullah neighborhood of the Onikişubat district. In this study, we investigated whether there was a soil amplification effect on the damage occurring in the Hayrullah neighborhood of the Onikişubat district of Kahramanmaraş Province. Firstly, borehole, SPT, MASW (multi-channel surface wave analysis), microtremor, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and vertical electrical sounding (VES) tests were carried out in the field to determine the engineering properties and behavior of soil. Laboratory tests were also conducted using samples obtained from bore holes and field tests. Then, an idealized soil profile was created using the laboratory and field test results, and site dynamic soil behavior analyses were performed on the extracted profile. According to The Turkish Building Code (TBC 2018), the earthquake level DD-2 design spectra of the project site were determined and the average design spectrum was created. Considering the seismicity of the project site and TBC (2018) criteria (according to site-specific faulting, distance, and average shear wave velocity), 11 earthquake ground motion sets were selected and harmonized with DD-2 spectra in short, medium, and long periods. Using scaled motions, the soil profile was excited with 22 different earthquake scenarios and the results were obtained for the equivalent and non-linear models. The analysis showed that the soft soil conditions in the area amplified ground shaking by up to 2.8 times, especially for longer periods (1.0–2.5 s). This level of amplification was consistent with the damage observed in mid- to high-rise buildings, highlighting the important role of local site effects in the structural losses seen during the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.

Stone cultural heritage structures built from pyroclastic rocks are susceptible to deterioration due to their sensitivity to atmospheric processes. Detecting such deterioration and periodically examining it using non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques is one of the most critical measures for ensuring its transmission to future generations. In recent years, assessing the properties of building stones through NDT methods has been widely applied in planning the preservation of stone cultural heritages. In this study, deterioration observed on the interior walls of the Emir Ali Tomb, a structure distinguished from other tombs in the region by its exceptional architecture, was investigated through laboratory tests and NDT techniques, including deep moisture measurement, P-wave velocity, and infrared thermography. It was determined that the monument was constructed from four different types of pyroclastic rock, classified according to their textural and geomechanical characteristics. Using data obtained from in situ tests, NDT distribution maps were generated. The deep moisture, P-wave velocity, and infrared thermography maps revealed that the primary cause of deterioration in the monument was related to capillary water rise.