Abstract
This paper presents the shaking table studies to investigate the factors that influence the liquefaction resistance of sand. A uniaxial shaking table with a perspex model container was used for the model tests, and saturated sand beds were prepared using wet pluviation method. The models were subjected to horizontal base shaking, and the variation of pore water pressure was measured. Three series of tests varying the acceleration and frequency of base shaking and density of the soil were carried out on sand beds simulating free field condition. Liquefaction was visualized in some model tests, which was also established through pore water pressure ratios. Effective stress was calculated at the point of pore water pressure measurement, and the number of cycles required to liquefy the sand bed were estimated and matched with visual observations. It was observed that there was a gradual variation in pore water pressure with change in base acceleration at a given frequency of shaking. The variation in pore water pressure is not significant for the range of frequency used in the tests. The frequency of base shaking at which the sand starts to liquefy when the sand bed is subjected to any specific base acceleration depends on the density of sand, and it was observed that the sand does not liquefy at any other frequency less than this. A substantial improvement in liquefaction resistance of the sand was observed with the increase in soil density, inferring that soil densification is a simple technique that can be applied to increase the liquefaction resistance.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Castro G (1975) Liquefaction and cyclic mobility of saturated sands. J Geotech Eng Div 101(6):551–569
Castro G, Poulos SJ (1977) Factors affecting liquefaction and cyclic mobility. J Geotech Eng Div 103(6):501–516
De Alba P, Chan CK, Seed HB (1975) Determination of soil liquefaction characteristics by large-scale laboratory tests. (EERC 75-14) University of California, Berkeley
Dobry R, Taboada V, Liu L (1995) Centrifuge modeling of liquefaction effects during earthquakes. In: Ishihara K (ed) Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering. Balkema, Rotterdam, vol 3, pp 1291–1324
Ha IS, Olson SM, Seo M-W, Kim M–M (2011) Evaluation of reliquefaction resistance using shaking table tests. Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 31(4):682–691
Hardin BO, Richart FE Jr (1963) Elastic wave velocities in granular soils. J Soil Mech Found Div 89(1):33–65
Hushmand B, Scott RF, Crouse CB (1988) Centrifuge liquefaction tests in a laminar box. Geotechnique 38(2):253–262
Iai S (1989) Similitude for shaking table test on soil-structure-fluid model in 1 g gravitational field. Soils Found 2(1):105–118
Ishihara K, Tatsuoka F, Yasuda S (1975) Undrained deformation and liquefaction of sand under cyclic stresses. Soils Found 15(1):29–44
Kokusho T (1999) Water film in liquefied sand and its effect on lateral spread. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 125(10):817–826
Kramer SL (2009) Geotechnical earthquake engineering. Pearson Education, India
Lee KL, Seed HB (1967) Dynamic strength of anisotropically consolidated sand. J Soil Mech Found Div 93(SM5):169–190
Maheshwari BK, Singh HP, Saran S (2012) Effects of reinforcement on liquefaction resistance of solani sand. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 13(7):831–840
Martin GR, Finn WDL, Seed HB (1975) Fundamentals of liquefaction under cyclic loading. J Geotech Eng Div 101(5):423–438
Mohajeri M, Towhata I (2003) Shake table tests on residual deformation of sandy slopes due to cyclic loading. Soils Found 43(6):91–106
Mulilis JP, Arulanandan K, Mitchell JK, Chan CK, Seed HB (1977) Effects of sample preparation on sand liquefaction. J Geotech Eng Div 10(2):91–108
Poulos SJ, Castro G, France JW (1985) Liquefaction evaluation procedure. J Geotech Eng 111(6):772–792
Sasaki Y, Towhata I, Tokida K, Yamada K, Matsumoto H, Tamari Y, Saya S (1992) Mechanism of permanent displacement of ground caused by seismic liquefaction. Soils Found 32(3):79–96
Seed HB (1979) Soil liquefaction and cyclic mobility evaluation for level ground during earthquakes. J Geotech Eng Div 105(2):201–255
Seed HB, Lysmer J, Martin PP (1976) Pore-water pressure changes during soil liquefaction. J Geotech Eng Div 102(4):323–346
Seed HB, Tokimatsu K, Harder L, Chung R (1985) Influence of SPT procedures in soil liquefaction resistance evaluations. J Geotech Eng 111(12):1425–1445
Towhata I, Sesov V, Motamed R (2006) Model tests on lateral earth pressure on large group pile exerted by horizontal displacement of liquefied sandy ground. 8th US National Conference on Earthquake Engineering. San Francisco, California. Paper no. 1227
Toyota H, Towhata I, Imamura S, Kudo K (2004) Shaking table tests on flow dynamics in liquefied slope. Soils Found 44(5):67–84
Ueng TS, Wu CW, Cheng HW, Chen CH (2010) Settlements of saturated clean sand deposits in shaking table tests. Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 30(1):50–60
Vaid YP, Chern JC (1983) Effect of static shear on resistance to liquefaction. Soils Found 23(1):47–60
Vaid YP, Finn WDL (1978) Static shear and liquefaction potential. J Geotech Eng Div 105(10):1233–1246
Vaid YP, Negussey D (1988) Preparation of reconstituted sand specimens. Advanced triaxial testing of soil and rock. ASTM STP 977:405–417
Vaid YP, Chern JC, Tumi H (1985) Confining pressure, grain angularity and liquefaction. J Geotech Eng 111(10):1229–1235
Xenaki VC, Athanasopoulos GA (2003) Liquefaction resistance of sand-mixtures: an experimental investigation of the effect of fines. Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 23:183–194
Ye B, Ye G, Ye W, Zhang F (2013) A pneumatic shaking table and its application to a liquefaction test on saturated sand. Nat Hazards 66(2):375–388
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Varghese, R.M., Madhavi Latha, G. Shaking table tests to investigate the influence of various factors on the liquefaction resistance of sands. Nat Hazards 73, 1337–1351 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1142-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1142-3