Seismic Soil Liquefaction Mitigation Using Stone Columns for Pile-supported Wharves.

Stone columns (SCs) can reduce the seismic response of pile-supported wharves in liquefiable sites. A series of parametric studies were conducted to investigate the influence of SC diameter, SC space ratio, SC permeability, and typical earthquake characteristics on the seismic response of pile-support wharves and to assess the SC retrofit effect. The ratio of the SC space and diameter is found to play an important role in reducing the deck displacement. Based on the experimental results, the damage state of a pile support can be restricted to a potentially tolerable level using SCs in different liquefiable sites. Preliminary design suggestions are proposed for improving the seismic response of pile-supported wharves in earthquake-prone regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]