Experimental study on liquefaction resistance characteristics of fine-grained coralline soils

Authors

Ping-shan CHEN, CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Institute Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong 510230, China Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519082, China
Wei-qing LÜ, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519082, China CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong 510290, China
Xiao-cong LIANG, CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Institute Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong 510230, China Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519082, China
Hong-xing ZHOU, CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Institute Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong 510230, China Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519082, China
Jing WANG, CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Institute Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong 510230, China Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong 519082, China
Jia-jun MA, Key Laboratory of Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Vibration, Institute of Engineering Mechanics, China Earthquake Administration, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150080, China

Abstract

Coralline soils are the emerging preferred geomaterial for island-reef engineering and harbor engineering in tropical regions, and wide gradation is the main feature of their structural composition. The liquefaction resistance of coralline soils is gaining attention due to the high seismic risk of related engineering projects. In order to investigate the liquefaction resistance of coralline soils containing fine grains, the saturated undrained dynamic strengths of three groups of representative graded samples with designed relative compaction of 0.4–0.8 and two groups of samples without fine grains were measured by large-scale dynamic triaxial liquefaction test based on an actual site of coralline soils in a tropical harbor engineering in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The test results indicated that the power function could simulate the relationship between the cyclic stress ratio and the number of cycles to cause liquefaction for coralline soils containing fine grains; the presence of fine grains and the increase of relative compaction did not significantly improve the liquefaction resistance of coralline soils; the excess pore water pressure development pattern of liquefaction process of coralline soils was similar to that of sandy soils, and the inverse sine model with two or three parameters could simulate the excess pore water pressure development of liquefaction process of coralline soils containing fine grains. The study revealed that the fine-grained coralline soils still belonged to liquefiable soils. Based on an actual engineering project, the same type of engineering project needed to consider the prevention of seismic liquefaction hazards in the design, construction and use stages, and this study provided technical support for the prevention and control of liquefaction for coralline soils.

Graphic Abstract

Recommended Citation

CHEN, Ping-shan; LÜ, Wei-qing; LIANG, Xiao-cong; ZHOU, Hong-xing; WANG, Jing; and MA, Jia-jun (2023) "Experimental study on liquefaction resistance characteristics of fine-grained coralline soils," Rock and Soil Mechanics: Vol. 44: Iss. 2, Article 2.
DOI: 10.16285/j.rsm.2022.5181
Available at: https://rocksoilmech.researchcommons.org/journal/vol44/iss2/2