| Abstract: | Two liquefaction effects are described here which account for the fluidization phenomena observed in the collapse of water-saturated sloped-embankments. A surface erosion effect is a process in which the top layer of a submerged embankment liquefies. The subsequent reconstitution is a gradual process for which the time dependence is calculated. Internal liquefaction takes place suddenly and a criterion is derived to describe its onset. It is shown that the process is associated with the change from loading to unloading of an external shearing loaded on top of the slope and that there is no stable elastic unloading process. |
