Residual and Postliquefaction Strength of a Liquefiable Sand
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VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 2
Abstract
Seismic design of geotechnical structures often requires estimates of how shearing resistance of liquefiable soil is reduced to its minimum value (residual strength, ) as pore pressures build up and is subsequently regained as pore pressures dissipate. It was envisioned that the shear strength of liquefying sands could be measured in-flight in a seismic geotechnical centrifuge model by pulling thin coupons (plates) horizontally through the sand models before, during, and after shaking to simulate the large strains and strain rates associated with liquefaction flow failures. This paper presents the results of seismic centrifuge tests that were used to make such measurements. Companion ring shear (RS) tests also are described. Although centrifuge and RS residual strengths were generally similar and increased with relative density, the centrifuge and ( divided by preshaking effective vertical stress) increased significantly with small changes in relative density, while the RS test and increased only slightly with changes in relative density. Furthermore, many measured and values fell below penetration test-based design curves used in practice. Dilative tendency during shearing is believed to have resulted in a dramatic increase in and in the centrifuge tests that consisted of soil dense of the critical state. In contrast, RS tests likely resulted in shear band development, where intense shearing and particle damage occurs, leading to suppressed soil dilative tendency and divergence from the centrifuge test results at higher relative densities. The centrifuge tests provided evidence that, as expected, postliquefaction strength recovery is linearly proportional to effective stress as excess pore pressures dissipate.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (award CMMI-0724080). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The authors thank Mr. Kurt Anthony, Mr. Robb Wallen, and Professors Hon-Yim Ko, John McCartney, Dobroslav Znidarcic, and Majid Ghayoomi for their valuable help in the centrifuge testing work presented here. Three mechanical engineering (Kyle Bowley, Stefan Desis, and Alain Therrien) and one electrical engineering (Michael Parks) undergraduate students of the University of Vermont participated in this project; their efforts are appreciated. The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their thorough reviews and constructive suggestions.
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Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 2 • February 2016
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© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 7, 2014
Accepted: May 28, 2015
Published online: Jul 30, 2015
Discussion open until: Dec 30, 2015
Published in print: Feb 1, 2016
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