Study on wall-type gravel drains as liquefaction countermeasure for underground structures

One of the most dramatic causes of damage to engineering structures during earthquakes has been the development of soil liquefaction beneath and around the structures. In order to dissipate the excess pore water pressures near structures, gravel drains are usually employed. In this study, the use of recycled concrete crushed stones as gravel drain materials is addressed. In order to investigate the performance of wall-type gravel drains, two series of shaking table tests were performed. The test results showed that gravel drains, when appropriate grain size distribution is considered, effectively dissipate the excess pore water pressure underneath the structure, and consequently reduce the magnitude of uplift. To supplement the laboratory tests, finite element analyses were also performed. For specified structure, ground and earthquake conditions, there is a critical width of gravel drain at which no uplift of structure will occur. The results of the model tests and the finite element analyses were then employed in developing design charts for determining the critical width of gravel drain to prevent buoyant rise of structure when the surrounding soil mass liquefies.