1.1 This test method covers the laboratory use of piezo-ceramic bender elements to determine the shear wave velocity in soil specimens. A shear wave is generated at one boundary of a soil specimen and then received at an opposite boundary. The shear wave travel time is measured, which over a known travel distance yields the shear wave velocity. From this shear wave velocity and the density of the soil specimen the initial shear modulus (Gmax) can be determined, which is the result of primary interest from bender element tests. 1.2 This shear wave velocity determination involves very small strains and is non-destructive to a test specimen. As such, bender element shear wave velocity determinations can be made at any time and any number of times during a laboratory test. 1.3 This test method describes the use of bender elements in a triaxial type test (for example, Test Methods D3999, D4767, D5311, or D7181), but a similar procedure may be used for other laboratory applications, like in Direct Simple Shear (Test Method D6528) or oedometer tests (for example, Test Methods D2435 and D4186). Shear wave velocity can also be determined in unconfined soil specimens held together by matrix suction. 1.4 Shear wave velocity