Static and dynamic behaviour of soils: a rational approach to quantitative solutions. II. Semi-saturated problems

Abstract

Negative pore pressures existing in semi-saturated conditions provide a substantial ‘cohesion’ of the soil. This cohesion is of importance in the dynamic response of embankments and dams. The paper extends the formulation presented in part I to problems of semi-saturated behaviour with the assumption of free air ingress. An approximate reconstruction of the failure of the lower San Fernando dam during the 1971 earthquake is presented.