Excess Pore Water Pressure Ratio Research Articles

Study on the liquefaction characteristics of saturated sands by millisecond delay blasting

The liquefaction in saturated sands under blast loading is an important research topic in geotechnical engineering. The effect of blast loading on the liquefaction characteristics of saturated sands was studied through a large-scale millisecond delay blasting (MDB) liquefaction field test. Based on the field test, a numerical model was established by the LS-DYNA finite element program to study the propagation of blast waves and the effects of explosive mass, scaled distance, and blast delay on the liquefaction characteristics of saturated sands. The results show that there was a significant sand boiling phenomenon in saturated sands under blast loading, and high values of the excess pore water pressure ratio were observed at monitoring points during the field test. The numerical simulation results show that the scaled distance and the blast delay significantly affected the excess pore water pressure. While the blast delay increased from 110 ms to 330 ms, the excess pore water pressure of the central area can increase by more than 18%. Based on the field and numerical tests, an empirical equation is established that can take into account both the scaled distance and blast delay, which provides a theoretical basis for future large-scale liquefaction sites by MDB.

Dynamic Response of Rectangular Tunnels Embedded at Various Depths in Spatially Variable Soils

This study investigated the seismic response of rectangular tunnels with various embedment depths considering the spatial variability of soil shear modulus. The spectral representation method was adopted to simulate the anisotropic random field of soil. The excess pore water pressure, the liquefied zone, the ground displacement and the uplift displacement of the tunnel were obtained through the random finite difference method to analyze the seismic response. It was observed that the soil excess pore water pressure ratio under the tunnel gradually decreased and the liquefaction degree reduced with depth increase. The peak value of the liquefied zone range increased with the increase in embedment depth. The mean response of stochastic analysis was smaller than the deterministic calculation results when the tunnel embedment depth was less than 10 m. The maximum tunnel floating displacement obtained from random analyses had the probability of 67.3%, exceeding the value calculated by deterministic analyses when H = 12 m.

Seismic Response of a Liquefiable Site-Underground Structure System

To study the dynamic response of a saturated sand-underground structure system subjected to earthquakes, a series of shaking table tests with a geometric scale ratio of 1/30 were conducted. Based on the experimental acceleration records of testing soil deposits, the relationship between dynamic shear stress and horizontal soil displacement was analyzed by the 1D shear beam inverse calculation method. Meanwhile, the development law of the equivalent dynamic horizontal subgrade reaction coefficient and the dynamic strain of the sidewall in the underground structure has also been discussed. The testing results indicate that the dynamic shear stress of the soil deposit under the bottom plate of the underground structure is larger than that of the soils surrounding the sidewall and above the roof plate; in addition, the soil displacement tends to decrease with the buried depth. The dynamic shear stress–displacement hysteretic loop of the soil deposits tends to be plump as the input amplitude increases. The spectral characteristics of ground motions obviously influence both the dynamic shear stress–displacement hysteretic curve and the excess pore water pressure ratio of saturated sand soil, especially under medium and strong excitations. The equivalent dynamic horizontal subgrade reaction coefficient decreases with the increase of soil depth, and the difference between the coefficient above and underneath the underground structure model can reach 7.589 MN/m3. On the contrary, the equivalent dynamic horizontal subgrade reaction coefficient decreases with the increase of the input amplitude of ground motions, and the maximum reduction ratios of the coefficient are 74.4%, 66.7%, and 47.3%, corresponding to the El-Centro, Kobe, and Wolong ground motions, respectively. The soil liquefaction has a certain effect on the equivalent dynamic horizontal subgrade reaction coefficient. In general, the dynamic strain at the top of the sidewall in the underground structure is higher than that at the bottom of the sidewall, which illustrates that the deformation of underground structures is in good agreement with the seismic deformation mode of soil deposits.

Seismic responses of rectangular tunnels in liquefiable soil considering spatial variability of soil properties

The objective of this paper was to investigate the dynamic response of a tunnel-soil system in the soil with spatial variability of shear modulus with various coefficients of variation and scales of fluctuation. The soil shear modulus was highlighted and modeled as an isotropic random field using the spectral representation method, then mapped into the finite difference model. The dynamic stochastic responses of the excess pore water pressure ratio, the liquefied zone, the ground displacement, and the uplift displacement of the tunnel were discussed. It was observed that the effect of coefficient of variation was pronounced in which an increase of the coefficient of variation brought out a reduction in the corresponding dynamic stochastic responses. However, the scale of fluctuation was found to be insignificant in the tunnel soil system.

Identification of optimal ground-motion intensity measures for assessing liquefaction triggering and lateral displacement of liquefiable sloping grounds

This article aims at identifying the optimal scalar- and vector-valued intensity measures (IMs) for predicting liquefaction triggering and the consequence of liquefaction (i.e. permanent deformation of sloping grounds), respectively. A total of 169 ground motions were selected from the NGA-West2 database. Using the selected ground motions as input, one-dimensional dynamic analyses were conducted for generic sloping ground soil profiles consisting of a loose-sand liquefiable layer implemented in OpenSees. The excess pore water pressure ratio and the liquefaction-induced lateral displacement were regarded as the engineering demand parameters (EDPs) of interest. A total of 20 scalar-IMs and 21 vector-IMs representative of various characteristics of seismic loading were evaluated as candidate IMs. The criteria for identifying optimal IMs include consideration for the efficiency, sufficiency, and predictability of the given IMs. An error propagation approach was employed to evalute the overall uncertainty of EDPs under scenario earthquakes using different IMs as predictor variables. Based on the results of extensive comparative analyses, acceleration spectrum intensity (ASI), and the vector of peak ground acceleration and spectral acceleration at 0.3 s (peak ground acceleration (PGA) and Sa(0.3 s), respectively) are identified as the optimal scalar- and vector-IM for liquefaction triggering evaluation, respectively. However, Arias intensity ( Ia) and vectors of [ Ia, cumulative absolute velocity] and [PGA, Ia] are identified as the optimal scalar- and vector-IM for predicting the liquefaction-induced lateral displacements. The optimal IMs identified could be used in performance-based liquefaction hazard evaluations, to assess the liquefaction triggering and consequence of liquefiable sites.

Re-liquefaction resistance of lightly cemented sands

The re-liquefaction resistance of cemented sands under multiple liquefaction events such as pre-shock, main-shock, and after-shock earthquakes is a complex phenomenon because the response may alter due to bond breakage. A series of multistage liquefaction–re-consolidation soil element tests under undrained stress-controlled cyclic loading condition using cyclic triaxial were carried out to assess the liquefaction and re-liquefaction resistance of cemented sands with varying degrees of cementation. Lightly cemented specimens were reconstituted using Sydney sand and high early strength Portland cement with cement content ranging from 0.25% to 1% and unconfined compression strength from 15 to 80 kPa. The results showed that the re-liquefaction resistance of cemented sands with different amounts of cement decreased after the first liquefaction event and then increased for succeeding liquefaction events. While the trend of residual excess pore water pressure ratio and cyclic stiffness degradation index of untreated sand under successive liquefaction events remained consistent, the corresponding responses for cemented sands altered for the second to the fifth liquefaction events. In fact, the residual excess pore water pressure ratio and cyclic stiffness of cemented sand increased and degraded faster during the early cycles of loading for the second to fifth liquefaction events.

Response of suction bucket foundation subjected to wind and earthquake loads on liquefiable sandy seabed

Offshore wind turbines (OWTs) are now being built in seismically active regions with the implementation of net-zero emissions of carbon dioxide. Safe operation of OWTs on suction bucket foundation is severely threatened by earthquake-induced liquefaction. This research investigated the performance of the suction bucket foundation supported the OWT in the liquefiable sand under wind and earthquake loads. A series of three-dimensional numerical models were established to perform the nonlinear dynamic analysis, in which the sandy seabed was described by an advanced elastic-plastic constitutive model. Various factors affecting seismic responses of the suction bucket foundation were analyzed, including the wind loads, seismic loads, aspect ratios of suction buckets, and sand densities. The responses were evaluated in terms of accelerations, excess pore water pressure ratios, horizontal displacements, settlements, and rotations of the OWT under wind and earthquake loads. The OWT may suffer a permanent tilt to exceed the serviceability limit state of the OWT due to wind loads, earthquakes, and liquefaction. The deformation mechanism of the suction bucket foundation under wind loads and earthquakes was revealed. The rotation-based proposed design charts were given for checking the design of seismic conditions. These research results can be used in a comparative sense for the design of the OWT in seismically active areas.

Seismic response of suction bucket foundation for offshore wind turbines: A parametric study

Offshore wind turbines are sensitive to tilt failures due to earthquake excitation. Soil liquefaction must be checked in seismically active areas. This study investigates the seismic response of suction bucket foundations in offshore wind turbines that are subjected to earthquake loadings. A series of shaking table tests are performed in a centrifuge, and a numerical analysis is performed in OpenSees and verified against centrifuge tests. The distribution law of the effective stress and excess pore water pressure ratio at the site is also analyzed. A parametric study is conducted by evaluating the influence of bucket configurations, overburden pressures, and seismic intensities. The soil inside and below the bucket foundation is strengthened and resists liquefaction more effectively. The bucket diameter and overburden pressure are key factors in enhancing seismic stability. The anti-liquefaction improvement ratio is assessed, and the distribution law of the anti-liquefaction performance of the soil in the area affected by the additional stress is described. A correction factor is proposed to modify the additional stress ratio by considering the distribution law of pore water pressure. This study provides a revised method to estimate the anti-liquefaction performance of the suction bucket foundation.

Centrifuge model tests on large-diameter monopiles in dense sand subjected to two-way lateral cyclic loading in short-term

To evaluate the lateral resistance of rigid monopiles for wind turbines in dense sand under lateral cyclic loading, centrifuge model tests are performed, focusing on the base resistance and degradation of the soil resistance under two-way lateral cyclic loading in the short-term. The slenderness ratio (embedded pile length to diameter) is varied from 3.75 to 8 and the loading frequency is in the range of 0.002 to 0.4 Hz in the prototype scale. Under cyclic loading with a maximum horizontal displacement of 5% of the pile diameter, the build-up of excess pore water pressure is observed, but the maximum value of the average excess pore water pressure ratio is around 50% in the steady-state for dense sand whose relative density is 80%. A simple analytical model for the rigid piles, considering the base resistance, is derived and then used to quantify the significance of the resistance at the pile base and the degradation of the soil resistance under cyclic loading. When the slenderness ratio is less than 5, a significant contribution of the moment resistance at the base is confirmed. The estimation of the degradation of the horizontal subgrade reaction coefficient using the simple analytical model suggests that, through cyclic shear tests for the determination of the deformation properties of the soil in a laboratory, it is possible to estimate the degradation of the soil stiffness and the parameters for the reduced sway-rocking type of foundation model.

Experimental Study of Dynamic Characteristics of Tailings With Different Reconsolidation Degrees After Liquefaction

The construction period of most tailing ponds generally lasts for more than 10 years or even decades. During this period, it may be affected by more than one earthquake and is often subjected to vibrations generated by mining activities. The tailings liquefied by earthquakes or vibrations may experience dynamic loads again. Due to the low permeability of tailings, the reconsolidation process of tailings after liquefaction is prolonged. Therefore, changes in the nature of the tailings caused by previous earthquakes will affect the performance of the tailing dam in the subsequent earthquakes. Dynamic triaxial tests and bending element tests were conducted on two kinds of tailings from a copper mine in Southwest China to study this process. The tailing specimens will undergo two consolidation processes and subsequent cyclic loads during the test. The influence of reconsolidation degree, confining pressure, and particle size on the dynamic characteristics and wave velocity of the tailings after liquefaction under cyclic loading was measured. The results show that the reconsolidation degree significantly affects the trend of the excess pore water pressure ratio changing with the increase in the cycle number of loads. The reconsolidation process after liquefaction of tailings will improve its liquefaction resistance. The relationship between the ratio of the cycle number of liquefaction after reconsolidation to the cycle number of first liquefaction and the reconsolidation degree is proposed. In the entire experimental process, the shear wave velocity of the tailings gradually decreases when applying the cyclic load and gradually increases during the consolidation process, including the first consolidation before cyclic loading and reconsolidation after liquefaction. The research results are of great significance to the safe disposal of tailings, especially those in earthquake-prone areas.

Dynamic response of thickened tailings in shaking table testing

In this study, an instrumented thickened tailings deposit model was designed, built and employed to evaluate the behaviour of layered thickened tailings to dynamic loading by using a shaking table equipment. The thickened tailings were deposited subsequently in three thin layers in a flexible laminar shear box mounted on top of the shaking table. Cyclic loading with a peak horizontal acceleration of 0.13 g and a frequency of 1 Hz was applied to the layered tailings deposit. Different types of sensors were placed to monitor the accelerations, displacements, volumetric water content and pore water pressures at the intermediate depth of each layer. Results indicated that the acceleration for the bottom and middle layers were similar to that of the base of the shaking table; but, this was not the case for the top layer. The measurements of vertical displacements indicated that all layers of thickened tailings experienced initially contraction and subsequently dilation during the shaking. The excess pore water pressure ratios were found to exceed unity through all layers of thickened tailings when the shaking ended. In other words, the results showed that the layered thickened tailings are susceptible to liquefaction under the considered testing conditions. It is also found that upward pore water migration to the top layer and downward pore water flow to the bottom layer occurred in the thickened tailings deposit. This water migration generated additional pore water pressure and also impacted the vertical displacement and liquefaction susceptibility of the thickened tailings material. The results of this study give a better understanding of the dynamic behaviour of thickened tailings, which is crucial for the safety of thickened tailings systems as well as sustainable mining.

Liquefaction Susceptibility of Saturated Coral Sand Subjected to Various Patterns of Principal Stress Rotation

The influences of consolidation conditions and rotation patterns of principal stress on the liquefaction susceptibility of saturated coral sand have emerged as an interesting problem in recent years. This paper presents results from a comprehensive experimental study comprising undrained monotonic shear tests and undrained cyclic shear tests subjected to various patterns of principal stress rotation. A remarkable finding is that a virtually unique correlation exists between a generalized shear strain amplitude γga and the excess pore water pressure ratio ru irrespective of consolidation conditions and cyclic loading patterns. A simple formulation is then proposed to relate γga and ru. Another significant finding is that the liquefaction susceptibility of coral sand and the correlation between the conventional cyclic stress ratio (CSR) and the number of cycles to failure Nf (corresponding to γga=2.5%) are strongly affected by the couplings of consolidation conditions and cyclic loading patterns. By introducing a generalized unit cyclic stress ratio (USRg) as a new proxy for liquefaction resistance, a strong correlation is found between USRg and Nf for all data sets from the experiments. An explicit relationship is then proposed for practical application. The wide applicability of this relationship is well demonstrated using the literature data for various undrained cyclic laboratory tests and different sands.

Verification of effectiveness and design procedure of gravel drains for liquefaction remediation

The current design practice of using gravel drains as a liquefaction countermeasure involves the selection of the drain spacing and drain diameter to keep the peak excess pore water pressure ratio low. As it has mostly been verified through small-scale 1 g shaking tests, its validity for the field-scale prototype has yet to be well investigated. In this study, a series of centrifuge tests was conducted to gain insight into the stress-dependent behavior of loose sand deposits with a level surface improved by gravel drains. Meanwhile, the current design procedure was validated with experimental data. The results revealed that the effects of gravel drains in suppressing the excess pore pressures depend significantly on the depth of the drains. The current design procedure has failed to elucidate the depth-dependent behavior of sand deposits. One of the important features of the mechanical properties of the soil used for the design of gravel drains was revealed through laboratory tests in which the coefficient of volumetric compressibility, mv, was found to be highly dependent on the stress level, while mv was assumed to be fixed in the design procedure. It was also found that the water flow regime in gravel drains can be a turbulent flow. The Reynolds number in drains increases from the bottom to the top, and the permeability coefficient decreases accordingly, resulting in more significant well resistance than expected based on the current design procedure. In the present study, when stress level-dependent mv and Reynolds number-dependent kw were used as input soil parameters, the axisymmetric diffusion equation, with consideration given to the well resistance, satisfactorily predicted the excess pore pressures in sand with gravel drains.

Numerical simulation of suction bucket foundation response located in liquefiable sand under earthquakes

The suction bucket foundation is considered as an effective option for offshore wind turbines because of its advantages in rapid installation and recyclability. However, the depth of the suction bucket inserted into the seabed is shallower compared to the monopile. Earthquakes and liquefaction threaten the safety and stability of suction bucket foundations in the North Sea of Europe and the Chinese offshore where earthquakes are active and the seabed is prone to liquefaction. This paper investigated the behavior of the suction bucket foundation located in the liquefiable sand under earthquakes using an advanced liquefaction model. The FE-FD method with the cyclic mobility constitutive model for soil was used to carry out the nonlinear dynamic analyses. Responses of the excess pore water pressure ratio, acceleration, displacement, and rotation were studied under different earthquake magnitudes and sand density. The distribution of excess pore water pressure of the suction bucket foundation from the results show strong space-time characteristics. The failure mechanism of the suction bucket foundation after liquefaction was revealed. The numerical results indicate that offshore wind turbines will be subjected to permanent displacements and tilt to reach 40% of the safety threshold due to earthquakes and liquefaction. Thus, seismic load and liquefaction of the foundation must be considered in the design.

Seismic Performance Evaluation of Agricultural Reservoir Embankment through Shaking Table Tests

In this study, shaking table tests were performed to compare and analyze the acceleration response, displacement behavior, and pore-water pressure behavior of reservoirs with parapets installed to prevent overtopping of deteriorative homogeneous reservoirs. During the shaking table tests, the experimental conditions were divided into four cases considering the range and magnitude of seismic acceleration according to national standards. The vibration-type waveform (Gongen) and shock-type waveform (Minogawa) were applied as input waveforms. The acceleration amplification ratios of both vibration- and shock-wave types were the largest in the dam crest, and the amplification ratio decreased as the design earthquake acceleration increased. In addition, the horizontal displacement was maximum on the upstream slope, owing to the influence of seepage water, and the vertical displacement was maximum on the dam crest, owing to the self-weight effect of the parapet structure. A comparison of the waveform results indicates that the vibration-type waveform may exhibit a more significant effect on the embankment zone displacement than the shock-type waveform. However, when the safety standards for the horizontal displacement, settlement ratio, and excess pore-water pressure ratio were applied, the embankment was stable within the allowable range in both the shock-type and vibration-type waveforms. Therefore, the parapet structure is expected to influence the overflow resistance and stability of embankments positively.

Mitigation of sand liquefaction under static loading condition using biogas bubbles generated by denitrifying bacteria

Nitrogen bubbles that is generated by microbial denitrification process is a new pollution-free clean material for mitigation of sand liquefaction. The current study aims to assess sustainability as well as distribution character of biogas bubbles in sand column under the condition of hydrostatics along with its performance of mitigating sand liquefaction under static loading. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted, and test results indicate that biogas bubbles has excellent sustainability in sand pores, and after 92 weeks, an increase of saturation from 84.5 to 85.1% marking only 0.6% rise. The volume of biogas generated by bacteria increases linearly with decrease of depth. Under undrained condition, if saturation of sample decreased from 100% to around 92.4%, strain softening behavior will transfer to strain hardening, and undrained shear strength can be increased by approximately two times in both of compression and extension tests. The excess pore water pressure ratio and liquefaction potential index have significant reduction with the decrease of saturation, and the magnitude of impact on compression is comparatively bigger than the extension tests. This study validates that as a new material, biogas bubbles are very stable in soil, desaturation using nitrogen bubbles is an effective method for mitigating the liquefaction of sand under static loading conditions. Moreover, the study provides support for the desaturation mitigating static liquefaction of sand to prevent geological disasters and reveals its potential engineering practical value.

Stiffness degradation of coarse and fine sand mixtures due to cyclic loading

Abstract A large earthquake may lead to the generation of excess pore water pressure in soils. With the increasement of excess pore water pressure, the stiffness degradation may lead to noticeable levels of deformation even without liquefaction. More than 20 cyclic triaxial tests were conducted in this study to investigate the stiffness degradation of soils during loading under an undrained condition. These tests involved four variables: cyclic stress ratio, void ratio, loading frequency, and fine particle concentration. The test results indicated that the average axial strain in the first cycle determined the degradation path of soils. The average axial strain in the first cycle changed in response to the variation in void ratio and cyclic stress ratio. By adding fine particles, we found that the equivalent granular void ratio was more effective in modeling the collected data on the average axial strain in the first cycle than the void ratio was. The relationships among average axial strain in the first cycle, cyclic stress ratio, and equivalent granular void ratio were investigated. Excess pore water pressure is a factor that is usually considered to weaken soils. A simple stiffness degradation model was proposed as a function of the excess pore water pressure ratio. This model was further transformed as a function of the factor of safety against liquefaction. The average axial strain in the first cycle and the stiffness degradation ratio were used to evaluate the developing axial strain in the degradation process.

A SIMPLE SHAKING TABLE TEST TO MEASURE LIQUEFACTION POTENTIAL OF PRAMBANAN AREA, YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA

This paper presents the experimental study of liquefaction potential for sandy soil in Prambanan Area, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, which underwent liquefaction due to the Mw 6.3 Jogja Earthquake on May 27, 2006. Shaking table tests considering the variation of acceleration and shaking duration were performed to investigate the liquefaction potential of sand. The liquefaction time stages including time to start liquefaction, time to start pore pressure dissipation, and liquefaction duration were observed. The percentage of liquefaction duration increase, the excess pore water pressure ratio and the required time to generate liquefaction, and the effect of applied acceleration to cyclic stress ratio, were also presented. The results showed that the sand could undergo liquefaction under the variation of dynamic load. The variation of dynamic load significantly influenced the time stages of liquefaction, the increase of liquefaction duration percentage and cyclic stress ratio. The results also exhibited that the larger applied acceleration and the longer shaking duration means the longer liquefaction duration and the larger liquefaction potential. In general, the result could bring the recommendation to the liquefaction countermeasure for Prambanan Area.

Shaking table tests to parametrically evaluate post-shaking settlements and pore water pressure build-up in marine sands

Among the important effects of the liquefaction, the settlement of sands due to the cyclic loading is considered in this paper. In this regard, an experimental program is conducted to investigate the excess pore water pressure ratio (EPWP) and the settlement (presented as the volumetric strains) of Anzali sand. The soil used in experiments is poorly graded sand, SP, in the Unified Soil Classification System. To conduct the study, a series of shaking table tests was performed on the studied sand under different conditions. During the experiments, excess pore water pressures were measured in two ways: by the pressure transducers and standpipe piezometers installed at the same levels, and surface settlements were measured by using three linear variable differential transformers, which were installed at different locations over the soil surface. The influence of different factors is studied in details. Saturated sand specimens were tested in the following categories: (i) tests at different input excitations; (ii) tests at different time durations of acceleration; and (iii) tests at different relative densities. The generation of the excess pore pressure and volumetric strains were measured for each of the tests. Results were analyzed to investigate the influences of the variable parameters. As the main novelty and the contribution to the field, effects of duration of the excitation, frequency and density indexes on the post-cyclic settlements and density changes, and also dilative behavior of liquefying sand under different frequencies are parametrically investigated. In addition, evolutionary polynomial regression-based models, which use the best features of conventional regression models, the genetic programming technique, and the least square method, are, also, proposed for the accurate prediction of the pore water pressure and post-cyclic settlements based on the results of shaking table tests.

Wave velocities depending on shear strain, directionality, and excess pore water pressure from wildlife liquefaction array

Data from the Wildlife Liquefaction Array, which is located at southern California’s Imperial Valley in the USA, are analyzed. Variations in shear wave (Vs) and compression wave (Vp) velocities are identified during strong motions. Shear strains (γ) are computed from recorded acceleration time series between the sensors. All these variables are compared with the ground-surface accelerations and excess pore water pressure ratio (Ru) at different depths. Results show that Ru starts to accumulate when γ exceeds the threshold strain of 0.01–0.015%. Vs is negatively correlated to Ru and γ. Further investigation shows that Vs degradation depends on maximum horizontal shear strain with the different azimuthal angles at the same time window. By contrast, Vs reduction with Ru is caused by the decrease in effective stress; hence Ru reduces Vs regardless of the azimuthal angles. Vp degradation is limited compared with that of Vs under strong shaking, indicating that the constrain modulus is determined by the combination of soil skeleton and pore fluid.