Skip to main content
Log in

Prediction of liquefaction potential and pore water pressure beneath machine foundations

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Central European Journal of Engineering

Abstract

The present research is concerned with predicting liquefaction potential and pore water pressure under the dynamic loading on fully saturated sandy soil using the finite element method by QUAKE/W computer program. As a case study, machine foundations on fully saturated sandy soil in different cases of soil densification (loose, medium and dense sand) are analyzed. Harmonic loading is used in a parametric study to investigate the effect of several parameters including: the amplitude frequency of the dynamic load. The equivalent linear elastic model is adopted to model the soil behaviour and eight node isoparametric elements are used to model the soil. Emphasis was made on zones at which liquefaction takes place, the pore water pressure and vertical displacements develop during liquefaction. The results showed that liquefaction and deformation develop fast with the increase of loading amplitude and frequency. Liquefaction zones increase with the increase of load frequency and amplitude. Tracing the propagation of liquefaction zones, one can notice that, liquefaction occurs first near the loading end and then develops faraway. The soil overburden pressure affects the soil liquefaction resistance at large depths. The liquefaction resistance and time for initial liquefaction increase with increasing depths. When the frequency changes from 5 to 10 rad/sec. (approximately from static to dynamic), the response in displacement and pore water pressure is very pronounced. This can be attributed to inertia effects. Further increase of frequency leads to smaller effect on displacement and pore water pressure. When the frequency is low; 5, 10 and 25 rad/sec., the oscillation of the displacement ends within the period of load application 60 sec., while when ω = 50 rad/sec., oscillation continues after this period.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Seed H. B., Cetin K.O., Moss R.E.S., Kammerer A.M., et al. Recent Advances in Soil Liquefaction Engineering, A Unified and Consistent Framework, 26th Annual ASCE, Los Angeles Geotechnical Spring Seminar, Keynote Presentation, H.M.S. Queen Mary, 2003

    Google Scholar 

  2. Youd T.L., and Idriss I.M., Liquefaction Resistance of Soils, Report from the NCEER, National Center for Earthquake Engineering, Workshops on Evaluation of Liquefaction Resistance of Soils”, Journal of Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Engineering, ASCE, April 2001, pp. 297–313

    Google Scholar 

  3. Wang W., Some Findings in Soil Liquefaction, Research Report, Water Conservancy, and Hydroelectric Power Scientific Research Institute, Beijing, August 1979

    Google Scholar 

  4. Sitharam T.G., Govinda Raju L. and Sridharan A., Dynamic Properties and Liquefaction Potential of Soils, Journal of Current Science, Vol. 87, No. 10, 25, November 2004

    Google Scholar 

  5. Jin D., Luan M., Li C., Liquefaction and Cyclic Loading, EJGE, Vol.13, Bund, G. 2008

  6. Worthen D., Critical State Framework and Liquefaction of Fine-Grained Soils, M.Sc. Thesis, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington State, 2009

    Google Scholar 

  7. Lu X., Zhang X. and Shi Z., Responses of Saturated Sand Surrounding a bucket Foundation under Horizontal Vibration Loading, The Open Ocean Engineering Journal, Vol. 3, 2010, pp 31–37

    Google Scholar 

  8. Fattah M.Y., Nsaif M. H., Propagation of Liquefaction Zones Due to Earthquake Excitation in a Zoned Earthdam, the 2nd Regional Conference for Engineering Sciences. /College. of Eng. / Al-Nahrain University /1–2/12/2010, 2010, pp. 509–530

    Google Scholar 

  9. Vivek P., and Gosh P., Dynamic Interaction of Two nearby Machine Foundation on Homogeneous Soil”, GeoCongress 2012, ASCE, 2012, pp. 21–30

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  10. Seed H.B., Martin P.P. and Lysmer J., Pore-Water Pressure Changes during Soil Liquefaction”, Journal of the Geo-technical Engineering Division, ASCE, GT4, 1976, pp.323–345

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kumar K., Basic Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, New Age International, 2008

    Google Scholar 

  12. Wang Y., Lu X., Wang S. and Shi Z., The Response of Bucket Foundation under Horizontal Dynamic Loading, The Open Ocean Engineering Journal, Vol.33, 2006, pp 964–973

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Fattah M.Y., Al-Neami M. A., Jajjawi N. H., Implementation of Finite Element Method for Prediction of Soil Liquefaction around Underground Structure, Engineering and Technology Journal, University of Technology, Vol. 31, No. 4, 2013, pp. 703–714

    Google Scholar 

  14. Amini F., Duan Z., Centrifuge and Numerical Modeling of Soil Liquefaction at Very large Depths, 15th ASCE Engineering Mechanics Conference, Columbia University New York, NY, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Manual of Dynamic Modeling with QUAKE/W, 2007 (2009). An Engineering Methodology, 4th Edition, Geo-Slope International, Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Seed H.B., Idress I.M., Soil Moduli and Damping Factors for Dynamic Analysis, EERC Report No. 10-70, University of California, 1970

    Google Scholar 

  17. Seed H.B., and Booker J.R., Stabilization of Potentially Liquefiable Sand Deposits Using Giravel Drains, Journal of Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, Vol. 103, No., GT7, 1977, pp.757–768.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kramer S.L., Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, Prentice Hall, 1996.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammed Y. Fattah.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Fattah, M.Y., Al-Neami, M.A. & Jajjawi, N.H. Prediction of liquefaction potential and pore water pressure beneath machine foundations. cent.eur.j.eng 4, 226–249 (2014). https://doi.org/10.2478/s13531-013-0165-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13531-013-0165-y

Keywords

Navigation