Lecture-33

Exercise Problems in Liquefaction

Exercise Problem -1
A rounded sand subjected to a series of monotonic triaxial compression
tests exhibits the steady-state line(SSL) shown in the next slide.
Assuming that the sand can mobilize a friction angle of 330 in the steady
state, estimate the steady state strength that would be mobilized by the
following test specimens:
Initial
void ratio

Initial 3C

0.75

100kPa

Drained

0.75

100kPa

Undrained

0.60

50kPa

Drained

0.60

50kPa

Undrained

Specimen

Test Condition

Exercise Problem -1

Void ratio, e

0.8
0.7

0.6
0.5

10

100

1000

Effective confining pressure-kPa

Fig :1
3

Solution
From graph, steady state 3C is read as
Specimen

(3C)ss

100kPa

5kPa

50kPa

800kPa

1' 3' C N 2 c N

N tan2 45
2

1' 3' C tan2 45

2

where

For granular soils,

Steady state shear strength ss

( 1' 3' C ) ss

Solution
2

tan
45

.
ss
2

ss 3' C

Specimen

(3C)ss (kPa)

ss(kPa)

100

119.6

50

60

800

957

Exercise Problem -2
Consider an anisotropically consolidated direct simple shear test specimen
with the initial conditions shown below. Show graphically how the pore
pressure ratio at the initiation of liquefaction, ru varies with the amplitude
of the cyclic shear stress.
q-kPa
75

50

25

0
50

100

150

p-kPa

Solution
Excess pore water pressure uexcess decreases with cyclic stress amplitude
ru

uexcess

3C

where 3' c is the effective confining pressure

ru also decreases with increase in cyclic shear stress amplitude.
'

q-kPa
75
uexcess
50

uexcess

25

0
50

100

150

p-kPa
7

Exercise Problem -3
A 10m thick deposit of loose sand is saturated below a depth of 3m. The soil
below the water table is highly susceptible to liquefaction. Estimate the
ground surface acceleration that would be required to produce sand boils
in a M=7.7 earthquake.

3m

H1 = 3m
H2 =7m

7m

Solution

Source: Kramer (1996)

Figure: Thickness of the overlying layer required to prevent level ground

liquefaction related damage (After Ishihara, 1985).
From the figure, ground surface acceleration that would be required to produce
sand boils for H1 = 3m and H2 = 7m is 0.2 g.
9

Exercise Problem -4
Estimate the variation of uniform cyclic shear stress amplitude with depth for
the upper 50ft of soil (assume g=120pcf) at the Gilroy No. 2 (soil) station in
the Loma Prieta earthquake. Estimate the number of equivalent uniform
stress cycles.

Source: Kramer (1996)

Figure: Responses at Gilroy stations for Loma Prieta EQ

10

Solution
Gilroy No. 2 earthquake parameters: M=7.1, amax = 0.332g
g = 120 pcf.

cyc 0.65

am ax
v rd
g

cyc= 0.65 0.332 120 z rd

z (ft)

rd

cyc (psf)

1.0

0.99

128

10

0.98

254

.
11

Solution
z (ft)

rd

cyc (psf)

1.0

0.99

128

10

0.98

254

.
cyc(psf)

Figure: Variation of cyclic shear stress amplitude

with depth

12

Solution

Figure: Number of equivalent uniform stress cycles (Neq) for earthquakes

of different magnitude (After Seed et al., 1975)
From figure, for M=7.1, Neq =10 (Taking Mean)

13

Exercise Problem -5
A level deposit of saturated clean sand has an average (N1)60 value of 18 and
an average dry unit weight of 105 pcf. Plot the variation of cyclic shear
stress required to produce liquefaction in M= 5.5, 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5
earthquakes.

14

Solution
(N1)60 = 18;

gd = 105pcf

For saturated sands, assume specific gravity G= 2.6.

gd

Gg w

gd

Gg w
1 e

2 .6 62 .3
1 0 .54
105

[g w 1 g / cc 62 .3 pcf ]

g sat

Ge
2 .6 0 .54
gw
62 .3 127 pcf .
1e
1 0 .54

15

Solution

Fig: Relationship between cyclic stress ratio and (N1)60 for Mw = 7.5 earthquakes
16

Solution
From figure, for (N1)60 = 18, CSRM=7.5 =0.2
For other magnitudes, magnitude correction factors should be applied.
Table: Magnitude Correction Factors
Magnitude
CSRM/CSRM=7.5

1
5
4
6

1.50

3
4
1
7
2
1
8
2

1.13

1.32

1.00
0.89
17

Solution
Table: Cyclic stress Ratios

Magnitude

R = CSRM/CSRM=7.5 CSRM = R0.2

5.5

1.44

0.288

6.5

1.20

0.24

7.5

1.00

0.20

8.5

0.90

0.18

18

Solution

g w 62 .3 pcf
g sat 127 pcf

'
cyclic CSRM vo
CSRM g sat g w z

Depth
z ft)
M = 5.5

M = 6.5

M = 7.5

M = 8.5

93.168

77.640

64.700

58.23

186.336

155.280

129.400

116.46

20

372.672

310.560

258.800

232.92

30

559.008

465.840

388.200

349.38

40

745.344

621.120

517.600

465.84

50

931.680

776.400

647.000

465.84

0
5
10

19

Solution
Cyclic Shear Stress Psf
0

200

400

600

800

1000

10

Depth (ft)

20

M=5.5
M=6.5

30

M=7.5

M=8.5

40

50

60

20

Exercise Problem -6
A level deposit of saturated clean sand has an average (N1)60 value of 18 and
an average dry unit weight of 105pcf. Plot the variation of cyclic shear
stress required to produce liquefaction in M= 5.5, 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5
earthquakes. Assume that the sand has 15% fines.

21

Solution

Source: Kramer (1996)

Fig: Relationship between cyclic stress ratio and (N1)60 for Mw = 7.5 earthquakes
22

Solution
From figure, for (N1)60 = 18, with 15% fines as shown in figure (previous
slide) CSRM=7.5 =0.27
For other magnitudes, magnitude correction factors should be applied.
Table: Magnitude Correction Factors
Magnitude
CSRM/CSRM=7.5

1
5
4
6

1.50

3
4
1
7
2
1
8
2

1.13

1.32

1.00
0.89
23

Solution
Table: Cyclic stress Ratios

Magnitude

R = CSRM/CSRM=7.5 CSRM = R0.27

1.44

0.388

6.5

1.20

0.32

7.5

1.00

0.27

8.5

0.90

0.24

5.5

24

Solution
g w 62 .3 pcf
g sat 127 pcf

Depth
z ft)

'
cyclic CSRM vo
CSRM g sat g w z

M = 5.5

M = 6.5

M = 7.5

M = 8.5

125.7768

104.814

87.345

78.6105

251.5536

209.628

174.69

157.221

20

503.1072

419.256

349.38

314.442

30

754.6608

628.884

524.07

471.663

40

1006.214

838.512

698.76

628.884

50

1257.768

1048.14

873.45

786.105

0
5
10

25

Solution
Cyclic Shear Stress Psf
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

10

Depth (ft)

20

M=5.5
M=6.5
M=7.5

30

M=8.5

40

50

60

26

Exercise Problem -7
Prior to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, a site investigation at the Hunters
Point Navy Base in San Francisco showed 13 to 15m of clean, hydraulically
filled sand with D50= 0.29mm. The water table was at a depth of about
2.5m.CPT tests produced the following average tip resistances. The Loma
Prieta earthquake produced peak ground accelerations on the order of
0.15g to 0.20g at similar sites in the Bay Area. Assuming that the sand has
an average dry density of 1.6Mg/m3, compute and plot the factor of safety
against liquefaction that would have been expected in the Loma Prieta
earthquake.
Depth Interval(m)

Average qc(MPa)

3-4

6.5

4-5

5.7

5-6

5.2

6-7

4.9

7-8

5.1

8-9

6.3

9-10

6.9

10-11

7.6
27

Solution
d = 1.6Mg/m3
gd= 15.7kN/m3

Gg w
15.7; e 0.625 forG 2.6
1 e
Ge
g sat
g w 1.98g / cc 19.47kN / m3
1 e

D50 of sand
Depth of water table
Magnitude of earthquake
Peak ground acceleraration
Case I
Case II

0.29 mm
2.5 m
7.1

Max dry density (d)

Specific gravity G (assumed)
Unit weight of water (w)
void ratio (e )
Saturated unit weight (sat)

1.6 Mg/m3 =15.696 kN/m3

2.6
9.81 kPa
0.625
19.4690 kN/m3

0.15 g
0.2 g

28

Solution

Fig: Relationship between cyclic stress ratio and normalized cone

resistance (Mitchell and Tseng, 1990)
29

Solution
Depth interval
(m)

Avg
depth(m)

Avg
CRR7.1/
'
qc(MPa) v0 (kPa) CRR7.5 CRR7.5 CRR 7.1 v0 (kPa)

CSR

rd

3-4

3.5

0.98

6.5

48.90

0.13

1.07

0.13

58.71

0.115

0.153

1.17

0.874

4-5

4.5

0.97

5.7

58.56

0.11

1.07

0.12

78.18

0.126

0.168

0.93

0.699

5-6

5.5

0.96

5.2

68.22

0.11

1.07

0.11

97.65

0.134

0.179

0.84

0.629

6-7

6.5

0.95

4.9

77.88

0.10

1.07

0.11

117.12

0.139

0.186

0.77

0.576

7-8

7.5

0.94

5.1

87.54

0.10

1.07

0.11

136.59

0.143

0.191

0.77

0.578

8-9

8.5

0.93

6.3

97.19

0.12

1.07

0.13

156.05

0.146

0.194

0.90

0.672

9-10

9.5

0.92

6.9

106.85

0.13

1.07

0.14

175.52

0.147

0.196

0.94

0.703

10-11

10.5

0.90

7.6

116.51

0.14

1.07

0.15

194.99

0.147

0.196

1.01

0.760

0.15g

FOS at FOS at
CSR

0.2g

0.15g

0.2g

30

Solution
FOS
0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1.40

Depth (m)

FOS for
0.15g

10

12
31