Mitigation of Soil Liquefaction Using Stone Columns: An Experimental Investigation

The risk of liquefaction and associated ground deformation may be reduced by using various ground-improvement methods, including the stone column technique. To examine the effects of stone columns, a shaking table experimental study using four models (two containing saturated sand and two containing stone column composite foundations) was conducted to measure the development and dissipation of excess pore water pressure and the acceleration response during a simulated earthquake. The test results demonstrate that the effectiveness of stone columns for mitigation of soil liquefaction during an earthquake depends on the following three aspects: (1) the densification of the surrounding soils; (2) drainage along the stone column; and (3) reduction in the total cyclic shear stress of the soil (because the cyclic shear stress is partially shared by the stone column). The first factor (the densification of the surrounding soils) is the most prominent factor among these three. The drainage and re-distribution of the shear stress can only develop fully for sand ground with a considerably higher density; thus, the effectiveness of the last two factors are only significant for dense sand ground.     

Cyclic behaviour and liquefaction resistance of Izumio sands in Osaka,Japan

Abstract

This article presents a study of liquefaction resistance behaviour of sand using a cyclic triaxial test. The site investigation was performed, and frozen undisturbed specimens were taken from the Izumio site in Osaka, Japan. According to the evidence in 1995 Kobe Earthquake, the first two sand layers are vulnerable to undergo liquefaction. The effect of deviatoric stress on liquefaction resistance was focused on in this study. The excess pore pressure ratio, hysteresis loop, and effective stress path from the cyclic triaxial tests were reported. A multispring element model was employed to simulate the soil behaviour under cyclic loading. The results showed that applied deviatoric stress could influence the liquefaction resistance of sandy soil samples. The plots of the cyclic stress ratio versus the number of cycles to generate liquefaction known as a liquefaction resistance curve can be then constructed and compared with other sands.     

Laboratory Investigation on the Effects of Overconsolidation and Saturation on Undrained Monotonic Shear Behavior of Granular Material

In order to study pore water response and static liquefaction characteristics of silty sand, which has previously experienced liquefaction, two series of monotonic triaxial tests were run on medium dense sand specimens (RD = 50%) at confining pressure of 100 kPa. In the first test series, the influence of the soil saturation under undrained static loading has been studied. It summarizes results of monotonic tests performed on Chlef sand at various values of the Skempton's pore pressure coefficient. Analysis of experimental results gives valuable insights on the effect of soil saturation on sand response to undrained monotonic paths. In the second series of tests, the overconsolidation influence on the resistance to the sands liquefaction has been realized on samples at various values of overconsolidation ratios (OCR). It was found that the increase of overconsolidation ratio (OCR) increases the resistance of sands to liquefaction.     

The liquefaction and displacement of highly saturated sand under water pressure oscillation

In order to investigate the characteristics of water wave induced liquefaction in highly saturated sand in vertical direction, a one-dimensional model of highly saturated sand to water pressure oscillation is presented based on the two-phase continuous media theory. The development of the effective stresses and the liquefaction thickness are analyzed. It is shown that water pressure oscillating loading affects liquefaction severely and the developing rate of liquefaction increases with the decreasing of the sand strength or the increasing of the loading strength. It is shown also that there is obvious phase lag in the sand column. If the sand permeability is non-uniform, the pore pressure and the strain rise sharply at which the smallest permeability occurs. This solution may explain why the fracture occurs in the sand column in some conditions.     

Experimental study on the settlement of marine deposits of Anzali under cyclic loading by laminar box apparatus

The central Alborz mountain range, located in northern Iran, neighboring the Caspian Sea and where the two Persia and Eurasia plates meet, is known as a seismologically active area. In this regard, investigation of the behavior of saturated sand deposits located in this area may be of particular interest. Saturated sand deposits are subjected to instabilities owing to liquefaction or volume change due to earthquake shakings. A particular type of saturated sand deposits is Anzali sand which is abundant in Anzali port and other cities located in this area in northern Iran. This type of sand is a representative for most sands found in this area, i.e., the southern coastal line of Caspian Sea. This research is solely focused on the volume change behavior of marine deposits of Anzali area, often characterized as Anzali sand, in terms of the settlement of a model footing located on the surface of the sand by the aid of a transparent laminar shear box apparatus. Effects of a number of factors such as the frequency of the cyclic loading, the initial density of the sand, and the sample preparation method have been investigated. Observations indicated that the density index and the frequency of loading which are proportional to the energy of an earthquake have direct effects on the accumulation and amount of the final settlement of Anzali sand.     

Laboratory study of shear strength response of Chlef natural sand: Effect of saturation

Abstract

The study of the unsaturated soils is a very complex field to which several researches in laboratory and on site are directed these last years. An experimental study aims to quantify the influence of the Skempton coefficient B characterizing the degree of saturation on the behavior of the granular sand to the liquefaction resistance of sand. The study is based on undrained triaxial tests performed on natural Chlef sand carried out at an initial relative density Dr = 50% under a confining pressure of 50, 100 and 200?kPa for Skempton coefficient B?=?10 to 92%. The results of the tests show that an increase of confining pressure leads to an increase of the shear stress of the samples. For the lower value of the degree of saturation results of our findings indicate an increase of the resistance to liquefaction; our results are in good agreement with others observed in several research projects conducted with other sands. The increase of Skempton coefficient B induces an increase of pore water pressure and a decrease of the shear strength. The pore pressure (u) increases with an exponential manner with the increase of the degree of saturation; while the residual shear strength (Rs) decreases with logarithmic manner with the increase of degree of saturation (B).     

Effect of embedment on the vertical capacity of bucket foundation in loose saturated sand: Physical modeling

ABSTRACT

Bucket foundations have been widely used for a variety of offshore applications. The effects of skirt length on ultimate bearing capacity of bucket foundation have been studied and reported in published scientific papers. However, few studies have addressed the behavior of bucket foundations in loose saturated sand. In this paper, a series of experimental investigations were performed to determine the bearing capacity of bucket foundation under uniaxial loading. The experiments were conducted on small-scale foundations under vertical loading in loose saturated sand. It was found that increasing the skirt length would enhance the bearing capacity of bucket foundation. As reflected in the present study, bearing strength might be enhanced more than 5 times in loose saturated sand in comparison to surface footing with equivalent diameter. Based on the experimental investigation, a depth factor was proposed to approximate bearing capacity of bucket foundations in terms of those for surface footing and embedment ratio. Moreover, the corresponding settlement of foundation at the failure load was found to increase with skirt length.     

Numerical modelling of liquefaction in loose sand deposits subjected to ocean waves

The failure of marine structures is often attributed to liquefaction in loose sand deposits that are subjected to ocean waves. In this study, a two-dimensional integrated numerical model is developed to characterize the liquefaction behaviours of loosely deposited seabed foundations under various types of ocean waves. In the present model, Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations are used to simulate the surface wave motion, and Biot's consolidation equations are used to link the solid-pore fluid interactions in a porous medium. A poro-elasto-plastic solution is used to reproduce foundation behaviour under cyclic shearing. Unlike previous investigations, both oscillatory and residual soil responses were considered; they are coupled in an instantaneous approach. Verification of the model results to the previous centrifugal wave tests is carried out, obtaining fairly good agreement. Numerical examples show that foundation behaviour under various types of wave loading, particularly standing waves or a solitary wave, embodies a completely two-dimensional process in terms of residual pore pressure development. The parametric studies demonstrate that liquefaction caused by the build-up of pore pressures is more likely to occur in loosely deposited sand foundations with poor drainage and under large waves.     

Evaluation of liquefaction potential of marine sandy soil with piles considering nonlinear seismic soil–pile interaction; A simple predictive model

Abstract

An elastoplastic, dynamic, finite-difference method was applied to study the effects of nonlinear seismic soil–pile interaction on the liquefaction potential of marine sand with piles. The developed model was well validated using the centrifuge test. The results showed that acceleration, bending moment, and excess pore water pressure complied well with centrifuge test results. The effect of different affecting parameters on liquefaction potential was investigated using parametric study. Using a sensitivity analysis, the pile embedment parameter was shown to be the most influential parameter. Finally, applying the evolutionary polynomial regression technique, a new model for predicting the liquefaction potential was presented.     

The effect of structures on the wave-induced liquefaction potential of seabed sand deposits

One of the important design considerations for marine structures situated on sand deposits is the potential for instability caused by the development of excess pore pressure as a result of wave loading. A build-up of excess pore pressure may lead to initial liquefaction. The current practice of liquefaction analysis in marine deposits neglects the effects of structures over seabed deposits. However, analyses both in terrestrial and marine deposits have shown that the presence of a structure, depending on the nature of the structure and initial soil conditions, may decrease or increase the liquefaction potential of underlying deposits. In the present study, a wave-induced liquefaction analysis is carried out using mechanisms similar to earthquake-induced liquefaction. The liquefaction potential is first evaluated using wave-induced liquefaction analysis methods for a free field. Then by applying a structure force on the underlying sand deposits, the effect of the structure on the liquefaction potential is evaluated. Results showed that depending on the initial density of the sand deposits and different structures, water depths and wave characteristics, the presence of a structure may increase or decrease the liquefaction potential of the underlying sand deposits.     

Behavior of Loose Silty Sand of Chlef River: Effect of Low Plastic Fine Contents and Other Parameters

This article presents a laboratory study of static behavior of silty-sand soils. The objective of this laboratory investigation is to study the effect of initial confining pressures and fines content on the undrained shear strength (known as liquefaction resistance) response, pore pressure, and hydraulic conductivity of sand–silt mixtures. The triaxial tests were conducted on reconstituted saturated silty-sand samples at initial relative density D_r = 15% with fines content ranging from 0 to 50%. All the samples were subjected to a range of initial confining pressures (50, 100, and 200 kPa). The obtained results indicate that the presence of low plastic fines in sand–silt mixture leads to a more compressible soil fabric, and consequently to a significant loss in the soil resistance to liquefaction. The evaluation of the data indicates that the undrained shear strength can be correlated to fines content (F_c), inter-granular void ratio (e_g), and excess of pore pressure (Δu). The undrained shear strength decreases with the decrease of saturated hydraulic conductivity and the increase of fines content for all confining pressures under consideration. There is a relatively high degree of correlation between the peak shear strength (q_peak) and the logarithm of the saturated hydraulic conductivity (k_sat) for all confining pressures.     

Pore pressure in ocean‐floor sands under random waves

Abstract

The wave‐induced cyclic shear stresses in ocean‐floor sands may cause a progressive buildup of pore water pressure, leading to instability of the bed. This instability may constitute an important consideration in the analysis and design of various offshore engineering facilities. This paper presents a general procedure for the analysis of pore water pressure in the ocean‐floor sands under the action of random waves. Using a simple linear model for the generation of pore water pressure and incorporating the effect of its simultaneous dissipation, a formulation for the expected damage associated with buildup of pore pressure is developed in a stochastic framework. Numerical results of an example analysis are also presented.     

Geotechnical aspects of earthquake‐induced settlement of clay layer

Abstract

It has been observed that earthquake‐induced settlement depends on the excess pore water pressure accumulated during an earthquake. In particular, in the case where a clay layer is overconsolidated, excess pore water pressure is produced and settlement occurs by dissipation of the excess pore water pressure, which is very large in comparison with the coefficient of secondary compression. Therefore, if the settlement of clay ground induced by secondary compression becomes a serious problem, careful consideration of the earthquake‐induced settlement is needed. In this article, the settlement characteristics of a clay layer induced by cyclic shear are discussed, including the effects of loading period, the threshold shear strain below which no excess pore pressure or no settlement takes place, and the relationships between uniform shear strain cycles and irregular strain‐time histories. Then a calculation procedure for estimating the earthquake‐induced settlement is developed and applied to three soil profile cases, including the clay layers in Mexico City and Osaka Bay in Japan. In the case of a soil profile in Mexico City, settlements of about 0–3 cm are estimated and these values agree reasonably with the leveling results for the Mexico City earthquake of 1985. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the settlement induced by earthquakes is considerably affected by differences in the accelerograms.     

Characteristics of Pore Water Pressure of Saturated Silt Under Wave Loading

The characteristics of dynamic stress in the seabed under wave loading are constant principal stress and continuous rotation of the principal stress direction.Cyclic triaxial-torsional coupling shear tests were performed on saturated silt by the hollow cylinder apparatus under different relative densities,deviator stress ratios and vibration frequencies to study the development of pore water pressure of the saturated silt under wave loading.It was found that the development of pore water pressure follows the trend of "fast～steady～drastic".The turning point from fast to steady stage is not affected by relative density and deviator stress ratio.However,the turning point from steady to drastic stage relies on relative density and deviator stress ratio.The vibration cycle for the liquefaction of saturated silt decreases with increasing deviator stress ratio and increases with relative density.The vibration cycle for the liquefaction of the saturated silt increases with vibration frequency and reaches a peak value,after which it decreases with increasing vibration frequency for the relative density of 70%.But the vibration cycle for the liquefaction of saturated silt increases with vibration frequency for the relative density of 30%.The development of pore water pressure of the saturated silt is influenced by relative density and vibration frequency.     

Effect of sand on the vacuum consolidation of dredged slurry

Vacuum preloading is often used to improve the geotechnical properties of dredged slurry. Although the performance of this method has improved with rapidly developing technology, soil columns usually formed on the drainage boundary induce the decrease of permeability around the boundary, thereby limiting the further development of this method. To address this issue, this paper proposes a method for pretreating the slurry combined with sand prior to vacuum consolidation. This method partially replaces the fine particles with sand to reduce the formation of soil columns. Two groups of vacuum preloading tests were performed to investigate the effect of sand content and sand grain size on the vacuum consolidation of dredged slurry. The test results revealed that for a given sand grain size, increasing the sand content of the sand–slurry mixture increased the pore water drainage and accelerated the dissipation of pore water pressure, thereby increasing the vane shear strength. In contrast, for a constant sand content, the samples containing coarse sand exhibited increased pore water drainage and accelerated dissipation of pore water pressure, thereby increasing the vane shear strength of the soil.     

Prediction method of seismic residual deformation of caisson quay wall in liquefied foundation

The multi-spring shear mechanism plastic model in this paper is defined in strain space to simulate pore pressure generation and development in sands under cyclic loading and undrained conditions,and the rotation of principal stresses can also be simulated by the model with cyclic behavior of anisotropic consolidated sands.Seismic residual deformations of typical caisson quay walls under different engineering situations are analyzed in detail by the plastic model,and then an index of liquefaction extent is applied to describe the regularity of seismic residual deformation of caisson quay wall top under different engineering situations.Some correlated prediction formulas are derived from the results of regression analysis between seismic residual deformation of quay wall top and extent of liquefaction in the relative safety backfill sand site.Finally,the rationality and the reliability of the prediction methods are validated by test results of a 120 g-centrifuge shaking table,and the comparisons show that some reliable seismic residual deformation of caisson quay can be predicted by appropriate prediction formulas and appropriate index of liquefaction extent.     

Discussion of “formation mechanism of large pockmarks in the subaqueous Yellow River Delta”

Abstract

The excess pore pressure accumulation is a key factor when estimating the formation mechanism of large pockmarks, as it determines the liquefaction potential of marine sediments due to water waves. The governing equations for excess pore pressure may have different forms for various types of sediments and then shall reflect the cyclic plasticity of the soil. For water waves propagating over a porous seabed, the liquefaction area induced by waves is generally progressive, which indicates that the liquefaction area will move forward following the wave train. Therefore, the excess pore pressure accumulation can be used to explain the occurrence of the large pockmarks, but the dimension of the pockmark may be related to the heterogeneity of sediment or the wave properties affected by the topography in the subaqueous Yellow River Delta.     

Characteristics of Excess Pore Water Pressure of Nanjing Saturated Fine Sand Under the Interaction of Wave and Earthquake Loading

A stress path with continuous rotation of the principal stress direction and continuous alteration of amplitude of deviatoric stress difference under the interaction of wave and earthquake loading was proposed based on the characteristics of the stress path under wave and earthquake loading, respectively. Using a GDS dynamic hollow cylinder apparatus, a series of cyclic triaxial-torsional coupling shear tests were performed on Nanjing saturated fine sand via the stress path mentioned previously under different relative densities, effective initial confining pressures, plastic fines contents, and loading frequencies to study the development of excess pore water pressure (EPWP) of saturated sand under the interaction of wave and earthquake loading. It was found that the development of EPWP follows the trend of fast-steady-mutative-drastic, which is different from that under the cyclic triaxial test or wave loading. The number of cycles causing initial liquefaction (N_L) of saturated sand increases remarkably with relative densities. However, the relationships between N_L and effective initial confining pressures, plastic fines content, or loading frequencies are more complex.     

Monotonic and cyclic behaviors of loose anisotropically consolidated calcareous sand in torsional shear tests

ABSTRACT

The behavior of loose anisotropically consolidated calcareous sand obtained from an island in the South China Sea was investigated under undrained monotonic and cyclic loading in a hollow cylinder torsional apparatus. The tests were conducted on specimens which consolidated under various initial effective confining pressures and consolidation stress ratios. The monotonic test results show that the failure and phase transformation line are essentially independent of the consolidation conditions, while the initial contractive tendency of the specimens decreases with an increasing consolidation stress ratio. During monotonic loading of the anisotropically consolidated specimens, a same major principal stress direction is observed at the constant stress ratio lines up to the phase transformation line, irrespective of initial effective confining pressure. The cyclic strength of the sand increases with an increasing consolidation stress ratio. Moreover, a pronounced stress dependence is observed in the sand with higher consolidation stress ratio. During cyclic loading, the generated excess pore water pressure presents considerable fluctuations. The normalized terminal excess pore water pressure is described as a function of consolidation stress ratio. The tests show that the particle shape, rather than particle crushing, plays an important role in the monotonic and cyclic behaviors of the calcareous sand.     

Shear Behavior of Sand–Silt Mixtures: A Laboratory Investigation of Coastal Silty Sand Soils of Mostaganem

In recent years, interest in understanding the mechanisms of mechanical instability of porous media, leading to catastrophic failure has been continuously revised to include, new porous media parameters generating the phenomenon of liquefaction under static or dynamic loadings. Results from experimental test programs have concluded too many physical concepts based on material intrinsic properties, initial states, and other characteristics. Despite the great progress on the subject, these concepts do not allow a unified treatment of such porous media. The assessment of critical shear strength of sandy soils as porous media under undrained conditions is a major challenge in stability analysis. Such strength serves to evaluate the occurrence of flow deformation under liquefaction phenomena. The determination of the critical undrained strength is essentially fundamental for the design of soil structures such as earth dams, bridge supports, building foundations as well as soil densification process to avoid catastrophic failure due to soil instability manifested by failure or large displacement such as settlement. In this work, experimental program on reconstituted loose and medium dense specimens of terrigenous silica sands with different specified fine contents was carried out to analyze its mechanical behavior under undrained conditions. The present article is an attempt to experimentally describe mechanical behavior and theoretically justify such response of loose and medium dense sand by means of critical state soil parameters.