Evaluating Liquefaction Strength of Partially Saturated Sand
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 130, Issue 9
Abstract
A method is presented for evaluating the liquefaction strength of partially saturated sand using the compression wave velocity (P-wave velocity), a new indicator of saturation. Based on laboratory test results, an empirical correlation that relates the liquefaction strength with the pore pressure coefficient B is firstly proposed. The strength is defined as the cyclic stress ratio required to cause liquefaction at a specified number of cycles. With the aid of a theoretical relation between B and the P-wave velocity, an explicit correlation of more interest is then established between the liquefaction strength of sand and its P-wave velocity. A comparison of the predictions using this explicit correlation with laboratory measurements shows a satisfactory agreement. The significance of this method lies in that it makes it possible to evaluate the liquefaction strength of sand as affected by saturation through the measurement of P-wave velocity, which can be made not only in the laboratory but particularly in the field.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Chaney, R. (1978). “Saturation effects on the cyclic strength of sand.” Proc., ASCE Special Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics, New York, 342–359.
Ishihara, K., Tsuchiya, H., Huang, Y., and Kamada, K. (2001). “Recent studies on liquefaction resistance of sand: Effect of saturation.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Recent Advances in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics, San Diego.
Lings, M. L., and Greening, P. D.(2001). “A novel bender/extender element for soil testing.” Geotechnique, 51, 713–717.
Nakagawa, K., Soga, K., and Mitchell, J. K.(1996). “Pulse transmission system for measuring wave propagation in soils.” J. Geotech. Eng., 122(4), 302–308.
Richart, F. E., Jr., Hall, J. R., Jr., and Woods, R. D. (1970). Vibrations of soils and foundations, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Sherif, M. A., Tsuchiya, C., and Ishibashi, I.(1977). “Saturation effect on initial soil liquefaction.” J. Geotech. Eng. Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., 103(8), 914–917.
Skempton, A. W.(1954). “The pore-pressure coefficients A and B.” Geotechnique, 4, 143–147.
Xia, H., and Hu, T.(1991). “Effects of saturation and back pressure on sand liquefaction.” J. Geotech. Eng., 117(9), 1347–1362.
Yang, J.(2002). “Liquefaction resistance of sand in relation to P-wave velocity.” Geotechnique, 52, 295–298.
Yang, J., and Sato, T.(2000). “Interpretation of seismic vertical amplification at an array site.” Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 90, 275–285.
Yang, J., and Sato, T.(2001). “Analytical study of saturation effects on seismic vertical amplification of a soil layer.” Geotechnique, 51, 161–165.
Yoshimi, Y., Tanaka, K., and Tokimatsu, K.(1989). “Liquefaction resistance of a partially saturated sand.” Soils Found., 29, 157–162.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 130 • Issue 9 • September 2004
Pages: 975 - 979
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 24, 2002
Accepted: Oct 28, 2003
Published online: Aug 16, 2004
Published in print: Sep 2004
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.