Insight into the Effect of Fine Content on Liquefaction Behavior of Soil

Abstract

The present paper presents different approaches which includes plasticity based criteria that helps in distinguish between liquefiable and non-liquefiable soils deposits having fine content. A brief review of the previous work has been mentioned to emphasise on the need of new parameters for liquefaction susceptibility of clayey soils. Clay content, liquid limit and water content are considered as key parameters that helps in liquefaction assessment. Several recommendations proposed by prominent researchers are described here to present wide range of plasticity index, liquid limit and other parameters that affects liquefaction behaviour of clayey soil significantly. But the differences in the range of plasticity index leads to confusion and misperception in determination of liquefaction susceptibility of fine grained soil. One of the high seismic zone site is analyzed using different approach which consider fine content of soil mass. It is found that for a better and proper segregation of the layers Bray and Sancio criteria may be adopted which uses plasticity as one of its input parameter and clearly differentiate site in between liquefiable, non-liquefiable and sites that may liquefy i.e. moderately liquefiable. This summarizes that plasticity is one of the significant criteria which draws a clear differentiating line between liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil deposits.