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Seismic response of partially saturated soils beneath shallow foundations under sequential ground motions

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Abstract

Induced partial saturation is an innovative soil improvement technique intended to mitigate earthquake-induced liquefaction. Historical records indicate that successive earthquakes may occur in high seismic areas. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the response of partially saturated soils to sequential ground motions is of great significance for the rational design and execution of this method in engineering practice. In this study, a series of dynamic centrifuge experiments were conducted to investigate the impacts of sequential ground motions on the behavior of partially saturated soils beneath shallow foundations. Two different shallow foundation models with a bearing pressure of 135 kPa and 50 kPa were examined. Three seismic simulations, in order of increasing amplitudes, were sequentially applied to loosely-packed partially saturated sand models prepared with air injection technique. The assessment of the test results indicated that shallow foundations resting on saturated models of loose sand did suffer excessive settlements with each event, producing a large embedment of the foundation. However, much smaller settlements were recorded for partially saturated ground, and the level of the foundation embedment remained limited in this case. The deformation vector fields also indicated that different displacement mechanisms were observed for each successive event.

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Acknowledgements

The centrifuge experiments were carried out in Cambridge University with the help of the technicians at the Schofield Centre and with the aid of funds offered by the Ministry of National Education in Turkey. Their support is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Muş Alparslan University, 49250, Muş, Turkey

    Abdülhakim Zeybek

  2. Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK

    Gopal Santana Phani Madabhushi

  3. Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    Loizos Pelecanos

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  1. Abdülhakim Zeybek
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  2. Gopal Santana Phani Madabhushi
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  3. Loizos Pelecanos
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Correspondence to Abdülhakim Zeybek.

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Zeybek, A., Madabhushi, G.S.P. & Pelecanos, L. Seismic response of partially saturated soils beneath shallow foundations under sequential ground motions. Bull Earthquake Eng 18, 1987–2002 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-020-00792-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-020-00792-5

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