Blast-Induced Pore Pressure and Liquefaction of Saturated Sand
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 8
Abstract
This paper presents results from field tests using explosive generated spherical stress waves to induce residual excess pore pressure and liquefaction in large saturated sand specimens. Twenty-two single spherically shaped explosive charges ranging from 0.00045 to 7.02 kg were suspended and detonated in water located over saturated sand. Little or no residual pore pressure was induced in loose, dense, and very-dense saturated specimens at peak radial particle velocity less than approximately (peak shear strain less than approximately 0.005% at peak stress; late-time shear strain less than approximately 0.015% at peak displacement). Liquefaction was approached when peak radial particle velocities exceeded (peak shear strains exceeded 0.03, 0.03, and 0.04% at peak stress; late-time shear strains exceeded 0.09, 0.09, and 0.12% at peak displacement) in the loose, dense, and very-dense specimens, respectively. Peak radial particle velocity and peak strain required to induce a given pore pressure ratio increased with increasing relative density and effective stress. Empirical relationships developed are for single charge detonations.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) for funding the field research and Colorado State University for support in writing this paper. The authors also thank the anonymous reviewers for their thorough reviews and helpful comments. In addition, Jane Bolton, Bill Butler, Hassen Hassen, Marianne Hubert, Paul Jacobs, Wayne Lewis, and Fred Rwebyogo are thanked for their assistance in conducting the field tests. Wayne Lewis and Wayne Charlie placed and detonated the explosives. Bill Butler and Clint Scott conducted the direct shear and triaxial tests to determine the sand’s steady state line. Opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the funding agencies.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 8 • August 2013
Pages: 1308 - 1319
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 6, 2011
Accepted: Oct 1, 2012
Published online: Jul 15, 2013
Published in print: Aug 1, 2013
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