Liquefaction and Remediation

Introduction:
The sudden drop of shear strength under undrained conditions from the yield strength to the substantially smaller critical state strength is known as liquefaction. Liquefaction is a phenomenon in which the strength and stiffness of a soil is reduced by earthquake shaking or other rapid loading. The consequences of liquefaction includes flow slides of sloping ground, lateral displacement of retaining structures and bridge abutments, tilting, sinking, and complete failure of foundations, breaking up of the ground, boiling of sand through breaks to the ground surface and basements, and floating of buried light structures. Liquefaction occurs in saturated soils, that is, soils in which the space between individual particles is completely filled with water. This water exerts a pressure on the soil particles that influences how tightly the particles themselves are pressed together. Prior to an earthquake, the water pressure is relatively low. However, earthquake shaking can cause the water pressure to increase to the point where the soil particles can readily move with respect to each other. When liquefaction occurs, the strength of the soil decreases and, the ability of a soil deposit to support foundations for buildings and bridges are reduced.

Soils most susceptible to liquefaction:

Cohesionless soil deposits are susceptible to liquefaction if they are loose enough to be contractive are of sufficiently low permeability to experience no significant drainage during period of ground shaking. The grain size, gradation, shape, surface characteristics, and arrange of grains as controlled by the method of deposition, geological age and stress history are of the deposits are the characteristics will determine the soil susceptible to liquefaction.

Remediation:
The risk of liquefaction and ground deformation can be reduced by the following types of ground improvement. Densification Solidification Compaction grouting Dewatering Reinforcement techniques

Evaluation of Liquefaction : ( Ref.SOIL DYNAMICS AND MACHINE FOUNDATIONS by swami saran, page 375-436, Seed and Idriss method(1971).

The procedure for locating liquefaction zone can be summarized in following steps: i. Establish the design earth quake and obtain peak ground acceleration a max . also obtain number of significant cycles Ns corresponding to earth quake magnitude using table. ii. iii. Determine the average equivalent uniform shear stress Determine the value of stress ratio for given value of D50 of soil and number of equivalent cycles Ns for the relative density of 50%. iv. Arriving stress ratio value multiply with effective stress at depth h, obtain shear stress required for causing liquefaction. v. At depth h, liquefaction occurs if uniform shear stress is greater than shear stress causing liquefaction. Locating Zone of Liquefaction: Average equivalent uniform shear stress:

Where, amax = Peak ground acceleration=0.184 rd h = stress reduction factor, from chart= 0.9 = depth, 6m

= 0.65 * 3 * 6* 0.184 * 0.9/9.81 = 0.85 shear stress causing liquefaction: ( ) Where, d/23 = stress ratio obtain from graph = 0.22 DR Cr
= Relative

density (N=2) = 15

= 0.57, 1 from table. = 0.22 * 12/50 * 0.57 *19 = 0.571

Average equivalent uniform shear stress is greater than shear stress causing liquefaction. So Liquefaction will be occur in this location.