Performance of Inelastic, Shallow-Founded Structures on Liquefiable Ground and the Effectiveness of Mitigation Strategies

Abstract eng:
The risk of damage to the built environment from liquefaction can be significant. Soil settlements and differential displacements coupled with ground shaking can cause significant damage to structures and lifelines. Yet, the influence of soil liquefaction and different remediation strategies on the performance and damage potential of structures is not well understood, hindering the development of an effective, performance-based mitigation methodology. This paper presents the results of a centrifuge experiment conducted at the University of Colorado Boulder, in which a 3-story building with potential for inelastic behavior was founded on a layered soil deposit, including a liquefiable layer. The influence of two mitigation techniques, enhanced drainage and in-ground structural confinement, on the performance of the building during earthquake loading was investigated. The test results showed that remediation with stiff structural walls can reduce permanent foundation settlement and rotation during less intense motion, but can amplify settlements during more intense shaking that cause liquefaction under the footing. In all cases, the structural wall amplifies transient foundation rotation. Enhanced drainage with vertical pre-fabricated drains reduces excess pore pressure generation under the structure as well as foundation settlement and rotation, but it increases the flexural drift and floor accelerations.

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