A new model for reciprocating phase transition in liquefied ground considering floating soil particles

Abstract

Saturated soil is generally modeled in terms of solid (soil skeleton) and liquid (pore fluid) phases. A model for the reciprocating phase transition between solid and fluid in the liquefied ground is proposed based on the three-phase model for saturated soil, which considers floating soil particles. The model considers changes in the soil skeleton's porosity, which is a function of the effective confining pressure. We introduced stiffness degradation and recovery mechanisms into the existing elasto-plastic model to account for the phase transitions. Numerical simulations from both cyclic loading tests and centrifuge tests demonstrate that our model closely aligns with experimental results. The results clearly indicate our model's capability to accurately simulate the dynamic behavior of liquefied ground.