University of salahaddin

College of engineering
Civil department

Soil Liquefaction

Presented by : Stanick Jamel slewa

Key terms
SATURATED SOILS: PORE WATER PRESSURE:
SOILS IN WHICH THE SPACE PRESSURE EXERTED ON
(VOIDS) BETWEEN THE SOIL PARTICLES OF SOIL BY THE
PARTICLES IS COMPLETELY WATER IN THE VOIDS.
FILLED WITH WATER
SOIL LIQUEFACTION
A SATURATED SOIL SUBSTANTIALLY LOSES STRENGTH AND
STIFFNESS UNDER EFFECT OF EARTHQUAKE SHAKING AND
OTHER RAPID LOADING.
THE SOIL PARTICLES BECOME ‘SUSPENDED’ IN THE
WATER.
THE SOIL MOMENTARILY LOSE CONTACT AND SOIL
BEHAVES AS LIQUID.
BETTER KNOWN PHENOMENON “QUICK SAND”.
RESPONSIBLE FOR TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DAMAGE
IN HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKE AROUND THE WORLD.
WHY LIQUEFACTION occurrence….?
WATER PRESSURE BECOMES STRONG ENOUGH TO
COUNTERACT THE GRAVITATIONAL PULL ON THE
SOIL PARTICLE.

EFFECTIVELY “FLOAT” OR “SUSPENDS” THE

PARTICLES WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER.
Niigata , japan
THE PICTURE AT RIGHT SHOWS OVERTURNED APARTMENT BUILDINGS
IN NIIGATA, JAPAN DUE TO LIQUEFACTION IN 1964.
 Olympia, Washington, 2001

Sand Boiling
IF LIQUEFACTION OCCURS BENEATH A SURFACE THAT HAS HARDENED AS A RESULT OF COMPACTION, WEATHERING, OR
SOME OTHER PROCESS; ‘SAND BOILING’ CAN OCCUR.
What affects whether or not soil liquefaction will
occur?
GENERALLY, LIQUEFACTION WILL OCCUR IN LOOSE CLEAN TO SILTY
SANDS THAT ARE BELOW THE GROUNDWATER TABLE BUT STILL CLOSE TO
THE SURFACE OF THE DEPOSIT.
LIQUEFACTION CAN ALSO OCCUR IN SOIL THAT IS COMPLETELY
SUBMERGED AND COMMONLY CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DAMAGES TO
BRIDGE FOUNDATIONS, OFF-SHORE OIL DRILLING FACILITIES, AND OTHER
STRUCTURES THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY SUBMERGED SOIL DEPOSITS.
PRIOR TO AN EARTHQUAKE, THE WATER PRESSURE IS RELATIVELY LOW.
 EARTHQUAKE SHAKING CAN CAUSE THE WATER PRESSURE TO
INCREASE TO THE POINT WHERE THE SOIL PARTICLES CAN READILY MOVE
WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER.
LAKE MERCED, CALIFORNIA, 1957
LIQUEFACTION CAN OCCUR EASILY ON RIVER BANKS AS WELL AS NEAR LARGER BODIES OF WATER
LIQUEFACTION OCCURENCE IN 1976 IN GUATEMALA ON THE MONTAGUA RIVER
UPPER DECK COLLAPSE OF BAY BRIDGE FROM SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 1989,
Land sliding due to liquefaction
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON, 2001
THE STRESSES PRODUCED DURING LIQUEFACTION CAN CAUSE TENSION CRACKS TO FORM IN THE SOIL NEAR THE
EMBANKMENT, OR IT CAN COLLAPSE ALTOGETHER, COMMONLY KNOWN AS LATERAL SPREADING OR LAND SLIDING.
How can the risk of damage due to soil liquefaction be
reduced?
 

TO AVOID PLANNING DEVELOPMENT ON LIQUEFACTION

SUSCEPTIBLE SOILS.

BESIDES IN-SITU TESTING, VULNERABLE SITES CAN ALSO BE IDENTIFIED BY

RESEARCHING ANY PRIOR EVENTS AT THE SITE.
A STRUCTURE THAT INCORPORATES DUCTILITY, HAS SUPPORTS THAT ARE
ADJUSTABLE TO ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENTIAL SETTLEMENT, POSSESSES THE
ABILITY TO ACCOMMODATE LARGE DEFORMATIONS, AND HAS A FOUNDATION
DESIGN THAT CAN SPAN ‘SOFT’ SPOTS, CAN ALL DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF
DAMAGE INCURRED IN THE CASE OF A LIQUEFACTION EVENT.
 STEPS CAN BE TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE SOIL CONDITIONS AND
LOWER THE POTENTIAL FOR LIQUEFACTION OCCURRENCE

EXAMPLE OF FOUNDATION DESIGN THAT SPANS OVER A

SOFT SPOT

INJECTION & GROUTING

DYNAMIC
COMPACTION
Reference

www.google.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.studymafia.org
Thanks