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Centrifuge model tests on liquefaction mitigation effect of soil-cement grids under large earthquake loadings

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Abstract

In this study, the seismic response and liquefaction mitigation effect of the soil-cement grid improved ground subjected to large earthquake loadings are studied through dynamic centrifuge tests. The model tests included soil-cement grid improved and unimproved model grounds, both of which have a 15-m-thick liquefiable layer underlain by a 2.5-m-thick coarse sand layer. The pre-cast soil-cement grid adopted in this study enables the dynamic responses of the model closer to the real improved ground. The recorded responses of accelerations, excess pore pressures and the deformation of the enclosed soil in the improved ground were carefully analysed with the comparison of the ground without improvement. It shows that the soil liquefaction and post-shaking settlements were effectively mitigated by the soil-cement grid even under very strong shakings. And the restriction effect of the soil-cement grid on dynamic shear strain of the enclosed soil was the most prominent in the middle height, regardless of the intensities of the shaking events. Such mitigating “waist effect” could mainly be attributed to the dynamic soil-grid interaction during shaking. However, the underlain soil layer may experience larger shear strain due to the increasing inertial force of the overlying ground improved by the soil-cement grid.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

ρ s :

Soil particle density

C v :

Coefficient of consolidation

D 50 :

50% Diameter on the grain size diagram

F c :

Fine fraction content of the soil

M w :

Moment magnitude of earthquake

U c :

Uniformity coefficient of the soil

e max :

Maximum void ratio of the sand

e min :

Maximum void ratio of the sand

k :

Permeability coefficient of the soil

r u :

Excess pore pressure ratio

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51988101, 51978613 and 52278374) and the Chinese Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to University (the 111 Project, No. B18047), which collectively funded this project. Sincere thanks to Dr. Yasuhiro Shamoto, Dr. Kiyoshi Fukutake, Dr. Yoshiharu Asaka and Dr. Youhao Zhou, Institute of Technology, Shimizu Corporation, for their valuable comments, and to Mr. Toshiyuki Iwai, Mr. Takumi Hirai and Mr. Katsumi Yoshinari, Institute of Technology, Shimizu Corporation, Dr. Junchao Li and Mr. Zizhuang Yan, Zhejiang University, for their supports in jointly conducting the centrifuge model tests.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51988101, 51978613 and 52278374). Author Yan-Guo Zhou has received research support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China. This work was supported by the Chinese Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to University (the 111 Project, No. B18047). Author Yunmin Chen has received research support from the Ministry of Education and the State Administration of Foreign Experts Bureau jointly.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MOE Key Laboratory of Soft Soils and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People’s Republic of China

    Yuan Cao

  2. Institute of Technology, Shimizu Corporation, Tokyo, Japan

    Yuhei Kurimoto & Akira Ishikawa

  3. MOE Key Laboratory of Soft Soils and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Center for Hypergravity Experiment and Interdisciplinary Research, Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People’s Republic of China

    Yan-Guo Zhou & Yunmin Chen

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  1. Yuan Cao
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by YC, YK and YGZ. The first draft of the manuscript was written by YC and YGZ, and all co-authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yan-Guo Zhou.

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Cao, Y., Kurimoto, Y., Zhou, YG. et al. Centrifuge model tests on liquefaction mitigation effect of soil-cement grids under large earthquake loadings. Bull Earthquake Eng 21, 4217–4236 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-023-01711-0

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