Centrifuge Testing To Study the Effects of Air Injection on the Liquefaction-Induced Shallow Foundation Settlements

Abstract eng:
In recent years, air injection has been proposed as a cost-effective liquefaction mitigation technique that can be implemented underneath existing structures as well as at new construction sites. The effective application of this particular technique however requires a clear identification of the most critical mechanisms of liquefaction-induced deformations and their mitigation through it. In this study, a series of centrifuge tests were conducted on the shallow foundation. The dominant mechanisms of settlements in the fully and air injected-partially saturated soils were identified, and the performance of air injection in minimizing their respective contributions were evaluated. The test results indicate that artificially injecting air bubbles into the liquefiable soil deposits changes the dominant deformation mechanisms. The foundation settlements are dominated by the deviatoric deformation mechanisms in the fully saturated soils, whereas the volumetric deformation mechanisms are more pronounced in the air-injected partially saturated soils. Injection of air bubbles into the liquefiable soil deposit markedly minimizes the deviatoric soil deformations underneath the shallow foundation and reduces the overall structural settlements. The majority of the settlements in these soils happen due to volumetric deformations mechanisms.

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