Abstract
By examining a bulk of laboratory test data on sands obtained by using a simple shear apparatus, a family of curves was established in which the volumetric strain resulting from dissipation of pore water pressures is correlated with the density of sand and conventionally used factor of safety against liquefaction. Thus, given the factor of safety and the density in each layer of a sand deposit at a given site, the volumetric strain can be calculated and by integrating the volume changes throughout the depth, it becomes possible to estimate the amount of settlements on the ground surface produced by shaking during earthquakes. The outcome of the data arrangements as above was put in a framework of methodology to estimate the liquefaction-induced settlements of the ground. The proposed methodology was used to estimate the settlements at several sites devastated by liquefaction during the 1964 Niigata earthquake. The estimated values of the settlements were examined in the light of known performances of the sand deposits at respective site. It was shown that the proposed methodology may be used for predicting liquefaction-induced settlements with a level of accuracy suitable for many engineering purposes.
