Acoustic Characterization of Outcropping Stratigraphic Units

An acoustic device was custom-designed and implemented to characterize the acoustic properties of several types of soil with good spatial resolution. The aim was to enhance the differences in soil' s physical properties, such as compactness, porosity, density, etc. The device consisted of a highly directional loudspeaker for generating the acoustic excitation, and a microphone for detecting the signal backreflected by the surface under test. The device is PC controlled and dedicated software was also developed for managing the acoustic generation and detection, to collect and display the data and calibrate the system. The device has been used to characterize different stratigraphic units in an archaeological excavation site in the center of Florence.