An Experimental Study of the Effect of Seepage Force on Liquefaction of Soil in Embankments

An experimental study on the effect of seepage force on liquefaction of soil in embankments was performed using centrifuge modeling. A total of 5 model tests were conducted on the centrifuge at Case Western Reserve University. The model configuration was an embankment made of sand overlying a sand foundation. Three of the models were submerged while the other two had pore fluid only on one side of the embankment with seepage in the embankment. In the tests, the relative densities of the sand making the embankments were varied while the density of the soil in the foundation was kept the same. Model preparation techniques and test procedures are described. Pore pressure transducers, accelerometers and LVDTs were used to record the response during the earthquakes. The settlement of embankment was measured and profiles of the embankment before and after earthquakes were compared. In two of the tests, a viscous pore fluid was used to satisfy scaling laws for centrifuge modeling. The effect of the pore fluid viscosity on liquefaction behavior was investigated by comparing the results with that from model tests with water as pore fluid. The study found no conclusive evidence that seepage force affects the liquefaction of soil in embankments.