Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics V
Ground Improvement Reinforcement Mechanisms Determined for the Mw7.8 Muisne, Ecuador, Earthquake
Publication: Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics V: Liquefaction Triggering, Consequences, and Mitigation (GSP 290)
ABSTRACT
The 2016 Muisne, Ecuador, earthquake caused widespread soil liquefaction and structural damage as affected sites were subject to peak ground accelerations of greater than 0.4 g. Liquefaction was observed in the silty sand foundation soils adjacent to the recently constructed Briceño Bridge embankment site as evidenced by sand boils and liquefaction ejecta. However, the nearly 1 km long Briceño embankment, whose foundation materials were reinforced by relatively widely spaced rammed aggregate pier ground improvement elements, exhibited only minor damage after shaking. Post-earthquake data indicated that the ground improvement works provided densification of the SM foundation soils. This densification was not sufficient, however, to fully explain the stability of the embankment, an achievement that necessitates the presence of other stabilization mechanisms. This paper is of particular significance because it presents proposed stabilization methods that reach beyond densification in difficult to densify soils such as silty sands and sandy silts.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank Xavier Vera-Grunauer, CEO of Geoestudios in Guayaquil, Ecuador and a member of the GEER Reconnaissance team for providing valuable observations and insight that greatly assisted the research. We also thank Jorge Arroyo-Esqueda and Lake Carter, both with Geopier Foundation Company, for their valuable assistance in collecting and processing the field data presented herein.
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Published In
Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics V: Liquefaction Triggering, Consequences, and Mitigation (GSP 290)
Pages: 286 - 295
Editors: Scott J. Brandenberg, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, and Majid T. Manzari, Ph.D., George Washington University
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8145-5
Copyright
© 2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Jun 7, 2018
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