Laboratory Correlation of Liquefaction Resistance with Shear Wave Velocity

Laboratory data, which relate the liquefaction resistance of two sandy soils to shear wave velocity, are presented and compared to liquefaction criteria derived from seismic field measurements. Recent studies using field case history data have lead to new criteria for assessing liquefaction potential in saturated, granular deposits based on in-site, stress-corrected shear wave velocity. However, the relatively small number of case histories and the limited rage of site conditions represented in the data catalog hinder this approach. Additional data are needed to more reliably define liquefaction resistance as a function of shear wave velocity. Because shear wave velocity can be measured in-situ in the laboratory, laboratory testing can be used to augment the available field data. In the work described herein, cyclic triaxial and resonant column tests were conducted on specimens of clean uniform sand and a silty sand. Cyclic undrained strength and small-strain shear wave velocity were determined for identical specimens formed by water sedimentation. The data from these tests were found to be consistent with published field performance criteria, even with the uncertainties of relating laboratory data to field response. This study demonstrates the link between field and laboratory measurements that are possible with shear wave velocities. This link creates the opportunity to extend this approach to study other materials, such as silty sands and gravelly soils, and to study the influence of other parameters, such as high confining pressure, where little to no field performance data are available.