Bulletin ofthe Seismological Society of America. Vol. 53, No. 2, pp- 309-357, February, 1963 RESPONSE OF SOILS, FOUNDATIONS, AND EARTH STRUCTURES TO THE CHILEAN EARTHQUAKES OF 1960 By C. Martin Duke ano Davin J. Legps ABSTRACT Observations and interpretations of damage associated with soil failure in the Chilean earth- quakes are presented. Mffects of the earthquake are discussed relative to foundations, earth fills, harbor works, and landslides. Damage was extreme in several areas. Of particular in- terest were the frequent instances of apparent soil liquefaction and the many correlations be- tween foundation conditions and degree of damage to structures. Inrropucrion The 1960 Chilean earthquakes were highly instructive with reference to a variety of foundations and earth structures. The importance of the properties of soils on the ability of structures to resist earthquakes was made clear. During these earthquakes much damage was produced by the failure of soils. Substantial settlements were experienced by spread footings, rotation of bridge piers and piles was common, bridge approaches and abutments failed in a very large number of cases by dis- placing toward midstream, highway and railway fills settled extensively, sea walls and harbor quay walls were heavily damaged and in some cases were completely destroyed. Small and large landslides occurred throughout the damage area. Poor soil foundations remarkably aggravated the damage to structures. Earthquake-in- duced liquefaction of loose sandy soils was the apparent cause of a substantial num- ber of these difficulties. No damage to earth dams or tunnels was discovered by the authors. ‘The majority of the above-mentioned phenomena observed in the field by the authors were in or near the cities of Puerto Montt, Llanquihue, and Valdivia. Per- tinent observations were also made in and around Concepeién, Coronel, Frutillar, Alerce, Osorno, Rifiihue, Rio Negro, Ancud, and at other locations enroute. Sup- plementary information was obtained from various sourees on landslides, railroads, highway bridges, soil behavior, waterfront works, and soil properties. INTENSITY The distribution of intensity for the great earthquakes of May 22 is characterized by an exceptionally long narrow area of Intensity VIII extending through more than 6 degrees of latitude, from north of Concepcidn southward at least as far as Chiloe Island. A map of the damage area is shown in figure 1. This zone extends from the coast line to the western side of the central valley except for two anomalies: the San Pedro River area (including Rifihue and Valdivia) and the late glacial moraine lake and bay shorelines in the Puerto Montt-Llanquihue region. The picture is further complicated by the strong shock on May 21 which also yielded high intensities in the Concepcién area. Assessment of damages to the coastal towns was rendered difficult because of the tsunami which followed and eradicated much of the evidence of purely vibration damage. 308310 BULLETIN OF THE SEISMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA Beate A CNiny nt at Fro. 1. Region affected by the Chile Earthquakes of May 1960.SOILS, FOUNDATIONS, AND BARTH STRUCTURES 31L There is general agreement, and some disagreement, on intensities among the several reports on these earthquakes." '*: #* The writers’ estimates, in terms of the ‘Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale of 1931°*, are given in table 1. Som Cxaracrerisrics Within the latitudes that were severely affected by the earthquakes, see fig. 1, the landscape of Chile is dominated on the west by a low coastal mountain range (Paleozoic schists) averaging 30 miles wide, on the east by the Andes (volcanics and intrusives), and in between by a central longitudinal valley (alluviums and glacial drifts) averaging 45 miles wide and varying from 150 to 800 ft in elevation. A number of westerly flowing rivers emanating in the Andes cross the central low- land and breach the coastal range. A chain of volcanoes extends along the westerly side of the Andes, and a chain of large lakes occupies the transition zone between the Andes and the lowlands. Contemporary soils of engineering interest have been formed by the usual TABLE 1 Mopiriep Mercair INTENSITIES Concepeién vut Osorno VU-VII Petrufquen VI Rio Bueno vit Lancoche VI io Negro VIHI-IX Lanco VI Purranque vil Mafil v LJanquihue VIX Mariquina VI Totoral Ix Temuco v Frutillar Vill Cayamepu — VIIT Alerce xI Valdivia zs Puerto Varaq VII Pelchuquin IT Puerto Mont} VIII-XI Riftihue x Ancud va La Union VIL processes in this region of heavy rainfall, influenced by the deposition of volcanic ash and by glaciation. In the eruption from the side of Puyehue Voleano in 1960, for example, the ash deposit varied from 10 cm at 5 miles west of the vent to 1 em at 15 miles. The ash remains in place in some cases and is transported by water and wind in other cases to form layers between or to mix with other materials in alluvial de- posits in the lowlands and near river mouths. It weathers in time to the stage where it is rich in allophanet and bentonitic clay, which would appear to explain some of the special characteristics of Chilean soils under seismic loading. ‘The damage in the regions to the south was influenced markedly by the presence of recent glacial deposits. Soils forming the foundations of structures in many cases consisted of moraines or glacial outwash, and elsewhere contained glacio- fluvial components. Glacial outwash sediments of Pleistocene age have been iden- tified in Valdivia, ~* Elevated numerals refer to the list of references. } An amorphous hydrated aluminosilicate gel of highly variable composition. According to Grim, the Attorberg limits of some samples in the natural state were approximately 216 for liquid limit and 135 for plastic limit, though others have much smaller ranges. The minerals are amorphous to X-ray diffraction. (Applied Clay Mineralogy, McGraw-Hill, 1962).