Probability of local liquefaction of saturated sands in half-space domains under a train of surface point explosions

Article type: Research Article

Authors: de Béjar, Luis A.

Affiliations: Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, ATTN: CEERD-GS-M (Bldg. 5008), 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180-6199, USA

Note: [] Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 601 634 3762; Fax: +1 601 634 2309; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: The probability of liquefaction in saturated sand deposits subjected to a train of shear stress pulses propagating from a point blast source applied at the boundary surface of the elastic medium is investigated. The load effect is evaluated in approximate closed form using three-dimensional tensorial mathematical physics in polar cylindrical coordinates. The adopted criterion of liquefaction has been experimentally verified both in the laboratory and in the field when continua of saturated sands were subjected to equivalent cyclic shear stress due to earthquake excitation. A first-order second-moment technique for the probabilistic assessment of the liquefaction potential in practical situations is developed and implemented in a computer program. Parametric studies are conducted to examine the sensitivity of results to the second-moment characterization of intervening key physical quantities.

DOI: 10.3233/SAV-2010-0494

Journal: Shock and Vibration, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 1-19, 2010