Correcting Liquefaction Resistance of Unsaturated Soil Using Wave Velocity
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 2
Abstract
Explicit empirical relationships for correcting liquefaction resistance of unsaturated soil below the groundwater table using compression wave velocity () and shear wave velocity () are derived and evaluated in this paper. The relationships are derived using published laboratory test data for four different sands and one silt material. The laboratory test data based on exhibit less scatter than the test data based on the ratio . For this reason, the -based relationship is recommended for correcting the liquefaction resistance of unsaturated soil. The influence of loading cycles and relative density on the recommended relationship is investigated. From a review of 40 field case history sites, it is found that in the critical layers at 20% of the sites, average is less than 1,400 m/s, indicating unsaturated conditions. Liquefaction resistances computed for eight field case histories with in the critical layers are corrected and plotted on penetration- and -based liquefaction evaluation charts. The results support the use of the correction for unsaturated conditions below the groundwater table.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported in part by the Aniket Shrikhande Memorial Assistantship fund. Additional support was provided by National Science Foundation Grant No. CMS-0556006. The financial support of the Shrikhande family and the National Science Foundation are gratefully acknowledged. The many helpful comments of the anonymous reviewers are also sincerely appreciated. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the writers and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the National Science Foundation.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 2 • February 2013
Pages: 277 - 287
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 19, 2011
Accepted: May 13, 2012
Published online: May 16, 2012
Published in print: Feb 1, 2013
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