Centrifuge Modeling for Liquefaction Mitigation Using Colloidal Silica Stabilizer
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 11
Abstract
This paper reports the results of two centrifuge tests that were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of colloidal silica for liquefaction mitigation. Colloidal silica has been selected as a stabilizer material in soils because of its permanence and ability to increase the strength of soils over time. The centrifuge model geometry was selected to study the effects of lateral spreading in a 4.8-m-thick liquefiable layer overlain by a silty clay sloping toward a central channel. The centrifuge test evaluates the response of untreated loose sands versus loose sands treated with 9, 5, and 4% colloidal silica concentrations (by weight). The models were subjected to a series of peak horizontal base accelerations ranging from 0.007 up to 1.3g (prototype) with a testing centrifugal acceleration of 15g. The results show a reduction in both lateral spreading and settlement in colloidal silica–treated sands versus untreated sands. The shear modulus at low strains was determined from shear wave velocity measurements for the untreated and treated loose sands. The hysteretic response during cyclic loading was also determined for various levels of shaking. The results from the centrifuge tests show an increase in cyclic resistance ratios and a decrease in cyclic shear strains for increasing colloidal silica concentrations.
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Acknowledgments
Model tests were performed at the Center for Geotechnical Modeling, University of California at Davis. The writers would like to acknowledge the assistance of Dan Wilson, Chad Justice, Peter Rojas, Ray Gerhard, Nick Sinikas, and Lars Pederson. This research was performed as part of a NEES Grand Challenge project, and benefitted from discussions and collaborations with Glenn Rix, Ellen Rathje, Rachelle Howell, and Tony Marinucci. This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. CMS-0530478. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this material are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF. Recent upgrades have been funded by NSF Award No. CMS 0086566 through the George E. Brown, Jr., Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES).
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 11 • November 2012
Pages: 1334 - 1345
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 21, 2010
Accepted: Feb 6, 2012
Published online: Oct 15, 2012
Published in print: Nov 1, 2012
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