Liquefaction Response of Partially Saturated Sands. I: Experimental Results

Abstract

The liquefaction response of partially saturated loose sandswas experimentally investigatedto assess theeffect of partial saturation on thegenerationof excessporewater pressures.Anexperimental setup includingacyclicsimpleshearliquefaction boxwas devisedandman- ufactured.Theboxincludesporepressureanddisplacementtransducersaswellasbenderelementsandbendingdiskstomonitortheresponseof partially saturated specimens. Uniform partially saturated specimens with controlled density and degree of saturation were prepared by wet pluviationofpowderedsodiumperboratemonohydratemixedwithOttawasand.Thereactionofthesodiumperboratewithporewaterreleased minute oxygen bubbles, thus reducing the degree of saturation of the specimens. The uniformity of a specimen was confirmed with S wave velocity measurements and a high-resolution digital camera. The P wave velocity measurements could only confirm the presence of partial saturation but not the degree of saturation. Partially saturated specimens with varying relative densities and degrees of saturation when tested under a range of cyclic shear strains do not achieve initial liquefaction defined by maximum pore pressure ratio (ru,max) being 1.0. For a given degree of saturation and cyclic shear strain amplitude, the larger the relative density, the smaller is ru,max. For a given degree of saturation and relative density, the larger the shear strain amplitude, the larger is ru,max. The excess pore pressure ratio (ru) can be significantly smaller than ru,max depending on the number of cycles of shear strain. Tests on the sustainability of partial saturation under upward flow gradient and base excitation led to the conclusion that the specimens remained partially saturated without significant change in the degree of saturation. Based on the experimental test results presented in this paper, an empirical model for the prediction of ru in partially saturated sands under earthquake excitation is presented in a companion paper. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000815. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Soil liquefaction; Soil treatment; Saturated soils; Sand (soil type); Pore pressure; Cyclic tests; Entrainment; Bubbles; Experimentation. Authorkeywords:Soilliquefaction;Soiltreatment;Saturation;Porepressure;Cyclictests;Entrainment;Bubbles;Inducedpartialsaturation; Liquefaction mitigation; Bender elements; Bending disks.