Investigation on the Reliquefaction Behaviors of Sand Using Shaking Table Tests

Abstract

The reliquefaction behaviors of sand have been investigated by many scholars and the research results of different scholars are inconsistent. In order to test the validity of sand’s reliquefaction behaviors, electromagnetic shaking table tests were carried out with different shaking durations. In each test, prepared sandy ground was shaken several times in succession till it wouldn’t reliquefy. Before and after each shaking event, the density of sand was calculated by measured sandy ground’s height so that the influence of density on sand reliquefaction behaviors could be explored. The test results demonstrate that density plays a crucial part in sand reliquefaction behaviors. Sand reliquefied zero to three times according to various shaking durations. Sand even experienced the transformation from liquefied to not liquefied state during the first shaking event if the shaking duration lasted long enough. During each reliquefaction shaking event, circles required to trigger reliquefaction were fewer than that in first liquefaction, inferring that sand reliquefaction decreased despite of an increase in density.