Summary of Liquefaction

Water presence in soil particles beyond the limit causes loosening of strength, reduction in its
bearing capacity and increase the ratio of occurrence of settlements. This process of
liquefaction is responsible for collapsible damage of structures because of the earthquake
around the globe. Liquefaction has a greater impact on saturated soil because of moisture
content. Soil particles will get a state from solid to the liquid limit with the increment of
moisture content. Earthquake increases the hydro pressure inside the soil reducing stiffness
and cohesion between the molecules. Not only earthquakes but also vibration, overloading also
causes the settlements of structure.
Some areas are widely affected by earthquakes and the record has been obtained the check the
phenomenon of liquefaction with the passage of time in the world. Areas, where the ground
water table is high, are also need special assistance in design for the liquefaction process.
Near water bodies, low lying areas soil is saturated with reaching the liquid limit. For the
purpose of liquefaction, retaining walls are constructed to reduce the effect of water pressure.
But when the wall is not been capable of bearing the pressure, the wall tends to move away
and towards the liquefied soil because of active earth pressure and passive earth pressure
respectively. Its effect is more in underwater construction of soil e.g., piers of bridges.
When a loose structure of saturated sand breaks down due to the application of some sort of
heavy load. As in this process, the structure breaks down, a movement of particles is observed
from loosely packed soil particles to a denser configuration. As earthquake is sudden, the water
has no time to squeeze out in the pores of the soil. As water pressure increases, it is observed
that there is a reduction in contract forces between the particles. Due to high pressure, these
forces become very small. In the few cases, the pressure of water becomes so high that
particles lose contact with each other and soil behaves like a liquid and having very little
behavior of solid.
There are three main ways to decrease liquefaction problems while constructing new roads,
buildings or tunnels: The first one is to avoid construction on such places which are already
susceptible soils for liquefaction, the Second one is to build a liquefaction resistant structure so
that if in future that area has the issue of liquefaction, it will not affect the building which will
be already liquefaction resistant, and the last one is to improve the soil by improving its
drainage characteristics, strength, and density.