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EARTHQUAKE INDUCED LIQUEFACTION
AROUND THE WORLD
¹Rashmi Bade, ²Swastik Bhoyar, ³Prajakta Sonekar
¹Assistant professor, Department of civil engineering, Anjuman College of Engineering and
Technology, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
²Student of under graduate, Department of civil engineering, Anjuman College of
Engineering and Technology, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
³Student of under graduate, Department of civil engineering, Anjuman College of
Engineering and Technology, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Abstract: In this paper we have briefly studied effects of liquefaction on different locations
around the world, specifically those places where earthquakes are the major reason for
liquefaction to occur, as liquefaction is a major determining factor in longevity and stability
of the entire structure during various situations that lead to liquefaction.
Keywords: liquefaction, effects of liquefaction, earthquake
1. Introduction
Liquefaction occurs when vibrations or water pressure within a mass of soil cause the
soil particles to lose contact with one another.
Liquefaction also takes place when loosely packed, water-logged sediments at or near
the ground surface lose their strength in response to strong ground shaking.
Liquefaction occurring beneath buildings and other structures can cause major damage
during earthquakes or other seismic events.
2. Historical occurrences
Liquefaction is an uncommon occurrence and has affected some parts of the world,
some locations have been affected so bad that restoration has been hindered, following
are certain examples that are more common.
Because liquefaction only occurs in saturated soil, its effects are most commonly
observed in low-lying areas near bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, bays, and oceans.
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Liquefaction has been observed in earthquakes for a long time. Written records dating
back hundreds and even thousands of years describe earthquake effects that we know
now to be associated with liquefaction. Liquefaction has been a common factor in a
number of recent earthquakes, so it is often associated with them. Some of those
earthquakes are mentioned below.
i. The effects of liquefaction may include major sliding of soil toward the body
slumping and sliding of water, as was the case of 1957 Lake Merced slide
ii. In case of banks of Motagua, the tension cracks were introduced in the
aftermath of the Guatemala earthquake back in 1976. The earthquake hit with
a of 7.5 on Richter scale causing more than ten thousand landslides in total.
Lake Merced, road slid down due to SF earthquake in 1957 Highway blocked by landslide in Guatemala Earthquake
iii. Liquefaction caused major damage to port facilities in Kobe, Japan in the 1995
Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake. It is also referred to as The Great Hanshin
earthquake
Lateral displacement of a quay wall, Kobe 1995 1.2-2m drop in paved surface and flooding
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Liquefaction also frequently causes damage to bridges that cross rivers and other
bodies of water. Such damage can have drastic results. Liquefaction-induced soil
movements can push foundations out of place to the point where bridge spans loose
support or are compressed to the point of buckling.
Loss of support due to sliding of soil during earthquake Buckling of bridge due to compression induced by earthquake
iv. The Niigata earthquake that hit on June 16, 1964 had a magnitude of 7.5 on
Richter scale caused severe damage to many structures in Niigata. The
destruction was observed to be largely limited to buildings that were built on
top of loose, saturated soil deposits prone to liquefaction. Even though about
2000 houses were destroyed, only 28 lives were lost. A tsunami, caused by
movement of the sea floor associated with the fault rupture, completely the
port of Niigata.
A significant ground failure occurred near the Shinano river bank where the
Kawagishi-cho apartment buildings suffered bearing capacity failures and tilted
severely (left image below). Considering the extreme tilting, the buildings
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themselves suffered relatively less damage. Sand boils and ground fissures were
observed at various sites in Niigata (right image below).
v. Being a part of the Pacific Ring, the southern coast area of Alaska experiences
many earthquakes. On March 27, 1964, a great
earthquake of magnitude 9.2 struck Prince
William Sound and caused severe damage in the
form of landslides and liquefaction (image to the
right). This seismic event is the second largest
ever to have been recorded and it lasted for over
3 minutes. It was felt over an area of 500,000
square miles. A tsunami, heavily increased the
amount of damage to wharf and waterfront facilities.
Liquefaction in sand layers, and in sand and silt seams in the clayey soils beneath
Anchorage, caused many of the destructive landslides that occurred during the
earthquake.
Lateral spreading in the soil beneath the roadway
embankment caused the embankment to be pulled apart,
producing the large crack down the center of the road.
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vi. On October 17 1989, Loma Prieta earthquake of magnitude 7.1 hit
California’s Central coast.
Soil liquefaction caused major damage to waterfront facilities, structures, and buried
pipelines at locations in the Bay Area where loose saturated, sandy soils were
susceptible to liquefaction. The numerous sandboils that were observed provided
indisputable evidence of the occurrence of liquefaction. Liquefaction was observed
at a number of sites, including the Oakland airport, sites along the Salinas River, and
Moss Landing Marine Station.
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References:
Seismological Notes, Seismological Society of America Bulletin, v. 5-15, v. 8-18, v. 38-48.
Japan Society of Civil Engineers, 1995, "Preliminary Report on The Great Hanshin
Earthquake, January 17,1995".
Kawasumi-Hirosi (editor), General report on the Niigata earthquake of 1964, 1968.
USGS. “M9.2 – The Great Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami of March 27, 1964”
Committee on the Alaska Earthquake of the Div. of Earth Sciences, National Research
Council, The Great Alaska earthquake 1964, Engineering, Geology, and Summary Volumes,
National Academy of Sciences,1973
Seed, H. Bolton, “Landslides caused by soil liquefaction”, Eng. Vol. P. 73 ff. Reprinted from
Journal of Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, September 1968, “Landslides during
Earthquakes due to Soil Liquefaction”.
Seed, H. Bolton, Wilson, D. Stanley, “Turnagain Heights Landslide”, Reprinted from Journal
of Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, July 1967, “ Turnagain Heights Landslide,
Anchorage, Alaska”.
Professional Paper 1550: Earthquake Occurrence
Professional Paper 1551: Strong Ground Motion and Ground Failure
Professional Paper 1552: Performance of the Built Environment
Professional Paper 1553: Societal Response
