Liquefaction Potential Mapping for San Francisco
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 111, Issue 1
Abstract
The potential of saturated deposits of cohesionless soil in downtown San Francisco to experience initial liquefaction due to seismically induced pore pressure is evaluated. Initial liquefaction, or the zero effective stress state, is used as the index of liquefaction potential because it provides the best available index for damage due to seismically induced pore pressures. Liquefaction potential is evaluated by comparing the conditional probability of liquefaction, or liquefaction susceptibility, to the expected intensity of seismic loading, or liquefaction opportunity. The probabilistic evaluation is made using a liquefaction hazard model developed by Chameau. Assuming the water table to be at the ground surface, results indicate that while no liquefaction is expected anywhere for an intensity with an annual probability of exceedance of 0.05, only the most resistant deposits will survive an event with an annual probability of exceedance of 0.02. For an event with an annual probability of exceedance of 0.01, initial liquefaction is expected to occur within all saturated, cohesionless soil deposits in the downtown San Francisco area. It must be emphasized that in dense soil deposits the consequences of initial liquefaction may be minimal because of their limited shear strain potential.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Benjamin, J. R., and Cornell, A., Probability, Statistics, and Decision for Civil Engineers, McGraw‐Hill, 1970.
2.
Chameau, J. L., “Probabilistic and Hazard Analysis for Pore Pressure Increase in Soils due to Seismic Loading,” dissertation presented to Stanford University, Department of Civil Engineering, at Stanford, Calif., in 1980, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D.
3.
Chameau, J. L., and Clough, G. W., “Probabilistic Pore Pressure Analysis for Seismic Loading,” Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 109, No. GT4, Apr., 1983, pp. 507–524.
4.
Clough, G. W., and Chameau, J. L., “A Study of the Behavior of the San Francisco Waterfront Fills during Seismic Loading,” Report No. 35, John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center, Stanford University, Feb., 1979.
5.
Dow, G. R., “Bay Fill in San Francisco: A History of Change,” dissertation presented to California State University, at San Francisco, Calif., in 1973, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of M.A.
6.
Echezuria, H., “Determination of Liquefaction Opportunity for Downtown San Francisco, California,” dissertation presented to Stanford University, Department of Civil Engineering, at Stanford, Calif., in 1983, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Engineering.
7.
Fardis, M. N., and Veneziano, D., “Probabilistic Analysis of Deposit Liquefaction,” Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, Vol. 108, No. GT3, Mar., 1982, pp. 395–418.
8.
Gibbs, H. J., and Holtz, W. G., “Research on Determining the Density of Sands by Spoon Penetration Testing,” Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Soil Mechanics, London, Vol. 1, 1957, pp. 35–39.
9.
Guidi, G. A., “Computer Programs for Seismic Hazard Analysis. A User Manual,” Report No. 36, The John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center, Stanford University, Mar., 1979, pp. 132–188.
10.
Haldar, A., and Tang, W. H., “Probabilistic Evaluation of Liquefaction Potential,” Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, Vol. 105, No. GT2, Feb., 1979, pp. 145–164.
11.
Kavazanjian, E., Roth, R. A., and Echezuria, H., “Probabilistic Evaluation of Liquefaction Potential for Downtown San Francisco,” Report No. 60, John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center, Stanford University, Apr., 1983.
12.
Lee, K. L., and Fitton, J. A., “Factors Affecting the Cyclic Loading Strength of Soil,” Vibration Effects of Earthquakes on Soils and Foundations, American Society of Testing and Materials, Special Technical Publication 450, 1969, pp. 71–95.
13.
Marcuson, W. F., and Bieganousky, W. A., “Laboratory Standard Penetration Tests on Fine Sands,” Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, Vol. 103, No. GT6, June, 1977, pp. 565–588.
14.
Mortgat, C. P., and Shah, H. C., “A Bayesian Approach to Seismic Hazard Mapping,” Report No. 28, John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center, Stanford University, 1978.
15.
Roth, R. A., “Mapping Liquefaction Susceptibility in Downtown San Francisco, Calif., dissertation presented to Stanford University, Department of Civil Engineering, at Stanford, Calif., in 1983, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Engineering.
16.
Roth, R. A., and Kavazanjian, E., Jr., “Liquefaction Susceptibility Mapping for San Francisco, California,” accepted for publication, Bulletin of the Association of Engineering Geologists, Nov., 1984.
17.
Salah‐Mars, S., “Wave Equation Analysis Applied to the Standard Penetration Test,” dissertation presented to Stanford University, Department of Civil Engineering, at Stanford, Calif., in 1980, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Engineering.
18.
Schlocker, J., “Geology of the San Francisco North Quadrangle, California,” U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 782, 1974.
19.
Seed, H. B., and Idriss, I. M., “Simplified Procedure for Evaluating Soil Liquefaction Potential,” Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, Vol. 97, No. SM9, Sept., 1971, pp. 1249–1273.
20.
Seed, H. B., Martin, P. P., and Lysmer, J., “Pore‐Pressure Changes During Soil Liquefaction,” Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, Vol. 102, No. GT4, Apr., 1976, pp. 323–346.
21.
Seed, H. B., and Peacock, W. H., “Test Procedures for Measuring Soil Liquefaction Characteristics,” Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, ASCE, Vol. 97, No. SM8, Aug., 1971.
22.
Vanmarcke, E. H., and Lai, S. P., “Strong Motion Duration and RMS Amplitude of Earthquake Records,” Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, Vol. 70, No. 4, Aug., 1980, pp. 1193–1307.
23.
Wong, R. T., Seed, H. B., and Chan, C. K., “Cyclic Loading Liquefaction of Gravelly Soils,” Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, Vol. 101, No. GT6, June, 1975, pp. 571–586.
24.
Yegian, M. K., and Whitman, R. V., “Risk Analysis for Ground Failure by Liquefaction,” Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, Vol. 104, No. GT7, July, 1978, pp. 921–938.
25.
Youd, T. L., and Hoose, S. N., “Liquefaction during the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake,” Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, Vol. 102, No. GT5, May, 1976, pp. 425–439.
26.
Youd, T. L., and Hoose, S. N., “Historic Ground Failures in Northern California Triggered by Earthquakes,” U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 993, 1978.
27.
Youd, T. L., and Perkins, D. M., “Mapping Liquefaction‐Induced Ground Failure Potential,” Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, Vol. 104, No. GT4, Apr., 1978, pp. 433–446.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 111 • Issue 1 • January 1985
Pages: 54 - 76
Copyright
Copyright © 1985 ASCE.
History
Published online: Jan 1, 1985
Published in print: Jan 1985
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.