Liquefaction
Lecture-32
DR. RAJIB SARKAR
Mobile: 9430351282
E-Mail:
[email protected] State Criteria
Liquefaction susceptibility depends on the initial state of
the soil.
1. Initial Stress Conditions
2. Density characteristics at the time of the earthquake.
Cassagrande (1936)
Performed drained, strain controlled triaxial tests on loose
and initially dense sand specimens.
1. All specimens tested at the same effective confining
pressure approached the same density when sheared
to large strains.
2. Void ratio corresponding to this constant density was
termed as Critical Void Ratio (CVR)
3. CVR was uniquely related to the effective confining
pressure and called the locus CVR line.
Triaxial Test on Sand
CVR Line
Undrained testing in loose soil-Positive excess pore pressure (due
to the tendency for contraction)
Undrained testing in dense soil-Negative excess pore pressure
(due to the tendency for dilatancy)
CVR Line may be described as the state toward which any soil
specimen would migrate at large strains whether by volume changes
under drained conditions, changes in effective confining pressure
under undrained condition or some combination under partially
drained conditions.
CVR Line
Saturated soils with high initial void ratios high enough to plot
above the CVR line were considered susceptible to flow liquefaction
and soils with initial states plotting below the CVR line were
considered nonsusceptible.
Steady State of Deformation
Castro (1969) performed an important series of undrained, stress-
controlled triaxial tests.
Castro observed three different types of stress-strain behaviour
depending upon the soil state.
Dense specimens initially contracted but then dilated with increasing
effective confining pressure and shear stress (Dilation).
Very loose samples collapsed at a small shear strain level and failed
rapidly with large strains.
Castro called this behaviour "liquefaction" - it is also commonly
referred to as flow liquefaction.
Medium dense soils initially showed the same behaviour as the
loose samples but, after initially exhibiting contractive behaviour, the
soil "transformed" and began exhibiting dilative behaviour. Castro
referred to this type of behaviour as "limited liquefaction".
Triaxial Test on Saturated Sand
1 3
q
2
1 3
p' u
2
Steady State of Deformation
The state in which the soil flowed continuously under constant shear
stress and constant effective confining pressure at constant volume
and density is defined as steady state deformation.
The locus of points describing the relationship between void ratio
and effective confining pressure in the steady state deformation is
called steady state line (SSL).
Steady State of Deformation
A soil whose state lies above the SSL will be susceptible to flow
liquefaction only if the static shear stress exceeds its steady state (or
residual) strength.
Cyclic mobility can occur in soils whose state plot above or below
the SSL. In other words, cyclic mobility can occur in both loose and
dense soils.
The location of the SSL is sensitive to the compositional
characteristics of the soil- its vertical position is strongly influenced by
gradation and its slope by particle angularity. Soils with rounded
particles usually have flat SSLs.
Steady State of Deformation
A soil whose state lies above the SSL will be susceptible to flow
liquefaction only if the static shear stress exceeds its steady state (or
residual) strength.
Cyclic mobility can occur in soils whose state plot above or below
the SSL. In other words, cyclic mobility can occur in both loose and
dense soils.
The location of the SSL is sensitive to the compositional
characteristics of the soil- its vertical position is strongly influenced by
gradation and its slope by particle angularity. Soils with rounded
particles usually have flat SSLs.
Steady State of Deformation
Medium dense to dense sands subjected to monotonic loading will
initially exhibit contractive behaviour, but then exhibit dilative
behaviour as they strain toward the steady state.
A plot of the stress path points at which the transformation from
contractive to dilative behavior takes place reveals a phase
transformation line (PTL).
Steady State of Deformation
Steady State of Deformation
In the contractive region, an undrained stress path will tend to move
to the left as the tendency for contraction causes pore pressure to
increase and p' to decrease.
As the stress path approaches the PTL, the tendency for contraction
reduces and the stress path becomes more vertical.
When the stress path reaches the PTL, there is no tendency for
contraction or dilation, hence p' is constant and the stress path is
vertical. After the stress path crosses the PTL, the tendency for
dilation causes the pore pressure to decrease and p' to increase, and
the stress path moves to the right.
Steady State of Deformation
Note that, because the stiffness of the soil depends on p', the
stiffness decreases (while the stress path is below the PTL) but then
increases (when the stress path moves above the PTL).
This change in stiffness produces the "limited liquefaction" behavior
originally noted by Castro.
Under cyclic loading conditions, the behavior becomes even more
complex. Remembering that the failure envelope and PTL exist for
negative shear stresses as well as positive, it is easy to see that a
cyclically loaded soil can undergo the contraction/dilation
transformation in two different directions.
The stress-strain and stress path plots for a harmonically loaded
element of soil will therefore show softening behavior in the early
stages of loading (before the stress path has reached the PTL) but
then show cyclic softening and hardening as the stress path moves
from one side of the PTL to the other.
State Parameter
The behavior of a cohesionless soil should be more closely related
to the proximity of its initial state to the steady state line than to
absolute measures of density.
Soils in states located at the same
distance from the SSL should exhibit
similar behavior.
State Parameter
e ess
State Parameter
When state parameter is positive, the soil exhibits contractive
behaviour and may be susceptible to flow liquefaction.
When it is negative, dilative behaviour will occur and the soil is not
susceptible to liquefaction.
The state parameter has been related to friction angle, dilation
angle etc.
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