Seismic response of pile groups improved with deep cement mixing columns in liquefiable sand: shaking table tests

Abstract

A series of shaking table model tests were performed to examine the effects of deep cement mixing (DCM) columns with different reinforcement depths on the seismic behavior of a pile group in liquefiable sand. Due to the DCM column reinforcement, the fundamental natural frequency of the model ground increases noticeably. The excess pore pressure of soils reduces with the increase of reinforcement depths of the DCM columns. Before liquefaction, the acceleration response of soils in the improved cases is obviously lower than that in the unimproved case, but the acceleration attenuation is greater after liquefaction in the unimproved case. Moreover, the lateral displacement of the superstructure, the settlement of the raft, and the bending moment of the piles in the improved cases are significantly reduced compared with those in the unimproved case, and the reduction ratios rise with the increase of reinforcement depth of the DCM columns. However, reinforcement by the DCM columns may result in the variation of the location of the maximum moment that occurs in the pile.