A Methodology for Evaluating Liquefaction Susceptibility in Shallow Sandy Slopes

This paper illustrates a modeling approach for evaluating the liquefaction susceptibility of shallow sandy slopes. The methodology is based on a theoretical framework for capturing undrained bifurcation in saturated granular media. In order to provide predictive capabilities, the theory is combined...

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Main Authors: Buscarnera, Giuseppe, Whittle, Andrew
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Format: Article
Language:en_US
Published: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2015
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92759
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5358-4140
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author Buscarnera, Giuseppe
Whittle, Andrew
author2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
author_facet Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Buscarnera, Giuseppe
Whittle, Andrew
author_sort Buscarnera, Giuseppe
collection MIT
description This paper illustrates a modeling approach for evaluating the liquefaction susceptibility of shallow sandy slopes. The methodology is based on a theoretical framework for capturing undrained bifurcation in saturated granular media. In order to provide predictive capabilities, the theory is combined with the MIT-S1 constitutive model. The role of a non-homogeneous density profile is investigated, distinguishing among the different forms of undrained response that can be induced by rapid shearing. The first part of the paper describes the general methodology and illustrates the use of a stability index for static liquefaction. In the second part, the practical significance of the approach is discussed by back-analyzing the well-known series of flow failures in an underwater berm at the Nerlerk site. The analyses predict that prior to failure the Nerlerk slopes were not yet beyond the limits of stability for incipient liquefaction. Model simulations, however, also indicate that very small shear perturbations could have activated an undrained instability. These results suggest that static liquefaction was a mechanically plausible failure mechanism and provide the first interpretation of the classical Nerlerk collapse based on the combined use of the theory of material stability and an advanced constitutive model for sands.
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spelling mit-1721.1/927592022-09-26T10:54:13Z A Methodology for Evaluating Liquefaction Susceptibility in Shallow Sandy Slopes Buscarnera, Giuseppe Whittle, Andrew Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Whittle, Andrew Whittle, Andrew This paper illustrates a modeling approach for evaluating the liquefaction susceptibility of shallow sandy slopes. The methodology is based on a theoretical framework for capturing undrained bifurcation in saturated granular media. In order to provide predictive capabilities, the theory is combined with the MIT-S1 constitutive model. The role of a non-homogeneous density profile is investigated, distinguishing among the different forms of undrained response that can be induced by rapid shearing. The first part of the paper describes the general methodology and illustrates the use of a stability index for static liquefaction. In the second part, the practical significance of the approach is discussed by back-analyzing the well-known series of flow failures in an underwater berm at the Nerlerk site. The analyses predict that prior to failure the Nerlerk slopes were not yet beyond the limits of stability for incipient liquefaction. Model simulations, however, also indicate that very small shear perturbations could have activated an undrained instability. These results suggest that static liquefaction was a mechanically plausible failure mechanism and provide the first interpretation of the classical Nerlerk collapse based on the combined use of the theory of material stability and an advanced constitutive model for sands. 2015-01-09T15:33:03Z 2015-01-09T15:33:03Z 2013-02 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/ConferencePaper 978-0-7844-1278-7 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92759 Buscarnera, Giuseppe, and Andrew J. Whittle. “A Methodology for Evaluating Liquefaction Susceptibility in Shallow Sandy Slopes.” Geo-Congress 2013 (February 25, 2013). https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5358-4140 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/9780784412787.092 Geo-Congress 2013 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ application/pdf American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Anne Graham
spellingShingle Buscarnera, Giuseppe
Whittle, Andrew
A Methodology for Evaluating Liquefaction Susceptibility in Shallow Sandy Slopes
title A Methodology for Evaluating Liquefaction Susceptibility in Shallow Sandy Slopes
title_full A Methodology for Evaluating Liquefaction Susceptibility in Shallow Sandy Slopes
title_fullStr A Methodology for Evaluating Liquefaction Susceptibility in Shallow Sandy Slopes
title_full_unstemmed A Methodology for Evaluating Liquefaction Susceptibility in Shallow Sandy Slopes
title_short A Methodology for Evaluating Liquefaction Susceptibility in Shallow Sandy Slopes
title_sort methodology for evaluating liquefaction susceptibility in shallow sandy slopes
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92759
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5358-4140
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