2005 Volume 28 Pages 188
Heavy rainfall would reduce the seismic resistance of a embankment if the drainage system of the embankment is not enough. A series of shake table tests experimentally proved the existence of seismic resistance reduction for a embankment with a rainfall. Since the mechanism of the seismic resisntance reduction could be related with the change of material properties such as a reduction of the suction of unsaturated soils, in-situ handy cone penetrometer tests and monitoring of the suction were conducted in the shake table tests. The test results revails that the handy cone penetrometer test cannot grasp the change of the material property such as a reduction of the suction due to rainfall.
