Experimental Evaluation of Spatial Variability Effects on Liquefaction-Induced Settlements

This study assesses the effects of spatial variability on liquefaction-induced settlements through a series of medium-size 1-g shake table experiments. Past research including stochastic numerical modeling and evaluation of field case histories provided some insight on the effects of spatial variability on liquefaction-induced settlements; however, there is lack of experimental data in the literature focusing on this topic. Therefore, the need for quantifying the effects of non-uniform liquefiable soil layers on liquefaction-induced differential settlements seems inevitable. A series of 1-g medium-size shake table experiments with different liquefiable soil layering configurations were conducted to evaluate the effects of non-uniform liquefiable soil layer on free-field and foundation settlements. According to the results obtained, the pattern of the free-field settlement illustrated direct relation to the spatial variability of liquefiable layer. Furthermore, this research explored the correlations between the extent of liquefaction-induced settlements and the volume of observed sediment ejecta. Finally, this study provides preliminary observations on the impact of sediment ejecta on liquefaction-induced settlement of foundations.