Shaking Table Test on Mitigation of Liquefaction-Induced Tunnel Uplift by Helical Pile

Abstract

The tunnels located in the shallow depths of loose saturated sand are significantly prone to liquefaction-induced uplift. Research works are, therefore, in progress to propose efficient techniques for mitigating uplift. In this study, 1 g physical modeling was used to assess the performance of helical piles for decreasing liquefaction-induced uplift. The effects of pile length, number of pile helixes, and the pile spacing in plan view were investigated. The uplift mechanism of the tunnel and helical pile system was also analyzed. The results demonstrate that the penetration of the helical piles into the dense layer underlying the superficial liquefiable sand has decreased tunnel uplift significantly. However, excessive close pile spacing along the tunnel resulted in shear surface interference, and the efficiency of the excessive number of helical piles decreased significantly. The detailed view of the uplift mechanism showed that utilization of the piles extended the transition phase of uplift during shaking. Helical piles can efficiently restrict the possibility of rapid uplift of the tunnel and shorten the duration of the primary uplift phase.