Empirical Probability Distribution Models for Soil-Layer Thicknesses of Liquefiable Ground
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 6
Abstract
Probability distribution models (PDMs) of variables are cornerstones in the performance-based earthquake engineering framework. For liquefiable ground in earthquake-prone regions, the liquefiable layer often is sandwiched between nonliquefiable layers. However, PDMs for thicknesses of these soil layers, particularly the nonliquefiable crust and the liquefiable layer, are not yet well established. To fill this gap, this study leveraged field case history data from different regions to develop empirical PDMs for the soil-layer thicknesses of liquefiable ground. Seventeen probability density functions (PDFs) were examined to identify the appropriate ones that well characterize the thickness uncertainties. It was found that the lognormal PDF is an appropriate choice for either thickness variable at either region of interest. Means and standard deviations of the established PDMs for different regions, such as China, Japan, New Zealand, and the US, were tabulated for the expedience of implementation.
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Data Availability Statement
All data that support the findings of this study are available in the Supplemental Materials. The code for developing the probability distribution models are available from the author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
Funding for this study is partially from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (No. 52008155) and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Nos. 2018M640448 and 2019T120380). The author gratefully acknowledges the scholars who collected and provided the SPT- and CPT-based field case history data in their publications, which were the cornerstone for the present study. Special thanks are given to Dr. Zeyu Wang for an insightful discussion. The author also greatly appreciates the constructive comments by the anonymous reviewers.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 6 • June 2021
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 19, 2020
Accepted: Feb 23, 2021
Published online: Mar 31, 2021
Published in print: Jun 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Aug 31, 2021
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