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Evaluation of Static Liquefaction Characteristics of Saturated Loose Sand Through the Mean Grain Size and Extreme Grain Sizes

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Abstract

Liquefaction of soils is a natural phenomenon associated with a dramatic loss of the soil shear strength in undrained conditions due to a development of excess pore water pressure. It usually causes extensive damages to buildings and infrastructures during earthquakes. Thus, it is important to evaluate extent of influential parameters on the liquefaction phenomenon of soils in order to clearly understand the different mechanisms leading to its triggering. The soil gradation is one of the most important parameters affecting the liquefaction phenomenon. In this context, a series of undrained compression triaxial tests were carried out on eighteen natural loose (Dr = 25%) sandy samples containing low plastic fines content of 2% (Ip = 5%) considering different extreme sizes (1.6 mm ≤ Dmax ≤ 4 mm and 0.001 mm ≤ Dmin ≤ 0.63 mm) and two mean grain size ranges (0.25 mm ≤ D50 ≤ 1.0 mm) and (1.0 mm ≤ D50 ≤ 2.5 mm). The initial confining pressure for all tests was kept constant (P′c = 100 kPa). The obtained test results indicate that the mean grain size (D50) and extreme grain sizes (Dmax and Dmin) have a significant influence on the undrained shear strength (known as liquefaction resistance) and appear as pertinent factors for the prediction of the undrained shear strength for the soil gradation under study. The undrained shear strength and the excess pore water pressure can be correlated to the extreme grain sizes (Dmax and Dmin) and the mean grain size (D50) of tested wet deposited samples.

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Abbreviations

Ai, Bi and Ci :

Soil samples of group 01

Di, Ei and Fi :

Soil samples of group 02

a, c:

Coefficients of equation

B:

Skempton’s pore pressure parameter

Cu :

Coefficient of uniformity

Cc :

Coefficient of curvature

D:

Diameter of the sample

Dmax and Dmin :

Extreme grain sizes

D10 :

Effective grain size

D50 :

Mean grain size

Dr :

Initial relative density

ei :

Initial void ratio of sample reconstitution

ec :

Post-consolidation void ratio of sample reconstitution

emax and emin :

Extreme void ratios of the sand matrix

Gs :

Specific gravity of solids

H:

Height of the sample

H/D:

Height to diameter ratio of the sample

P′c :

Initial confining pressure

qmax :

Maximum shear strength

R2 :

Coefficient of determination

USCS:

Unified Soil Classification System

w:

Water content

Δumax :

Maximum positive excess pore water pressure

Δe = emax − emin :

Difference between extreme void ratios

Δec = ei − ec :

Difference between initial void ratio and post-consolidation void ratio

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Acknowledgements

This laboratory research work was supported by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) through Georg Forster Research Program grant funded by the German government for the third author. It was carried out in the Laboratory of Foundation Engineering, Soil and Rock Mechanics at Ruhr University of Bochum (Germany). The authors are grateful to the technician Werner Müller for his valuable contribution in the execution of this experimental program. The authors are also grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their critical review and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Saâd Dahlab University of Blida, Faculty of Technology, Civil Engineering Department, B.P 270 RP, Route de Soumaa, 09000, Blida, Algeria

    Leila Hazout & Zein El-Abidine Zitouni

  2. Laboratory of Materials Sciences and Environment, Hassiba Benbouali University of Chlef, BP 151, Route de Sendjes, 02000, Chlef, Algeria

    Mostefa Belkhatir

  3. Laboratory of Foundation Engineering, Soil and Rock Mechanics, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Ruhr-Universität Bochum , Bochum, Germany

    Mostefa Belkhatir & Tom Schanz

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  1. Leila Hazout
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  2. Zein El-Abidine Zitouni
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  3. Mostefa Belkhatir
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  4. Tom Schanz
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Correspondence to Mostefa Belkhatir.

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Hazout, L., El-Abidine Zitouni, Z., Belkhatir, M. et al. Evaluation of Static Liquefaction Characteristics of Saturated Loose Sand Through the Mean Grain Size and Extreme Grain Sizes. Geotech Geol Eng 35, 2079–2105 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-017-0230-z

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