Effect of Plasticity on Liquefaction Susceptibility of Sand-Fines Mixtures

Abstract

The usability of the clay fraction as one of the criteria in the assessment of liquefaction susceptibility is questionable since year 2001. The use of plasticity index to replace clay fraction as a controlling parameter in the criterion is proposed. This paper aims to compare the usability of different parameter in describing the cyclic behaviour of sand-fines mixtures with various plasticity characteristics. The sand-fines mixtures were reconstituted by mixing clean sand with two types of plastic fines at different percentages by weight, at a standardized ratio of 80% of clean sand with 20% of plastic fines. All soil samples were mixed using the dry tamping method to achieve a constant relative density of 20% throughout the specimen. The soil specimens are tested with stress controlled cyclic triaxial apparatus under consolidated undrained condition, with an effective confining pressure of 100kPa. The soil specimens were considered liquefy when the value of pore pressure is equivalent to the initial cell pressure, resulting zeroes effective stress in soil specimen. The results showed that the liquefaction resistance of the sand-fines mixtures increased as the value of plasticity index increased. The plasticity index is a better indicator to describe the liquefaction susceptibility of sand-fines mixtures compare to clay content, plastic limit and activity.