24. Centrifuge Modeling of Liquefaction Effects on Shallow Foundations

Earthquake-induced liquefaction is a major concern for structures built on saturated cohesionless soils in seismically active regions, as it often causes failure of critical structures such as bridges and quay walls, which severely restricts post-earthquake emergency response and economic recovery. The destructive consequences of this phenomenon have remarkably increased since it was firstly identified in US and Japan in 1964. This paper describes an investigation on the performance of shallow foundations susceptible to seismic liquefaction, considering the particular vulnerability that this type of foundation has shown in the field during past earthquakes. The research program included three dynamic centrifuge experiments, conducted at the Schofield Centre, University of Cambridge, UK, as part of a SERIES’ TNA Use Agreement focusing on the magnitude of liquefaction effects on shallow foundations, under different conditions, including interaction effects between adjacent structures, and on the assessment of the performance of innovative mitigation techniques, particularly narrow densified zones combined with selectively positioned high-capacity vertical drains.