Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Research Project: Developing improved framework for evaluating liquefaction triggering and liquefaction damage potential
Advisors: Dr. Russell Green, Dr. Adrian Rodriguez-Marek and Dr. Brett Maurer
Start Date: August 2015
This research is motivated by the need to improve the methodologies that are currently being used to predict liquefaction triggering and damage potential. Interpretation of case histories that are used to develop semi-empirical liquefaction evaluation procedures involves considerable subjectivity. Since the liquefaction triggering curves are solely based on post-liquefaction surface observations, misinterpretation of the case histories can create biases in the liquefaction triggering curve. For example, a site that actually liquefied at a certain depth but did not have any evidences of liquefaction at the ground is most likely to be classified as “no liquefaction” due to the lack of surface manifestations. Also, the surface manifestations are linked to a single critical layer, and thus, the liquefaction triggering evaluation does not account for the response of the entire soil profile. Moreover, the most common methodologies used to predict liquefaction damage potential use frameworks that double count factors that influence surface manifestation (e.g., density). Thus, the liquefaction triggering curve and damage potential index need to be developed simultaneously such that the double counting of the factors is avoided.
Publications resulted:
- Green, R.A., Upadhyaya, S., Wood, C.M., Maurer, B., Cox, B.R., Wotherspoon, L., Bradley, B., and Cubrinovski, M. (2017). “Relative efficacy of CPT- versus Vs-based simplified liquefaction evaluation procedures,” Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Seoul 2017 (In Press).
- Maurer, B., Green, R.A., van Ballegooy, S., Bradley, B., and Upadhyaya, S. (2017). “Performance Comparison of Probabilistic and Deterministic Liquefaction Triggering Models for Damage Assessment in 23 Global Earthquakes,” Proceedings of Geo-Risk 2017 (In Press).
California State University, Fullerton
Research Projects::
- NEESR: Reduction of Seismic Shaking Intensity on Soft Soil Sites Using Stiff Ground Reinforcement
- Advisor: Dr. Binod Tiwari
- Project dates: January 2013 to May 2015
- Master’s thesis work.
- Effect of Rainfall on Stability of Slopes
- Advisor: Dr. Binod Tiwari
- Side research
Publications resulted:
- Upadhyaya, S., Tiwari, B., Olgun, G. (2016). “Static and Dynamic Properties of Compacted Soil-Cement Mixtures,” Proceedings of Geotechnical and Structural Engineering Congress 2016, 1646-1654.
- Keaton, J.R., Ajmera, B., Upadhyaya, S., Tiwari, B., Turner, B., Kwak, D.Y., and Brandenberg, S.J. (2015). “December 2014 Storm Damage Below Recently Burned Slopes, Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura Counties, California,” GEER Association Report No. GEER-042.
- Tiwari, B., and Upadhyaya, S. (2014). “Influence of Antecedent Rainfall on Stability of Slopes,” Geotechnical Special Publication, 234, 3243-3251.
- Tiwari, B., and Upadhyaya, S. (2014). “Effect of Rainfall and Building Construction on a Marginal Slope in Triggering Landslide,” Landslide Science for a Safer Geo-environment, 3, 313-318.
- Upadhyaya, S., Tiwari, B., Fanaiyan, S. (2014). “Ground Motion Improvement on Loose Sand by the Use of Soil-Cement Panels,” Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Geo-disaster Reduction, 1, 240-245.
- Upadhyaya, S., Tiwari, B., San Pablo, A., Melgar, K., Pandey, P., and Olgun, G. (2014). “Reduction in Seismic Shaking Intensity of Soft Soil Sites Using Soil-Cement Panels as Stiff Ground Reinforcement,” Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Geo-disaster Reduction, 1, 246-252 (Awarded: Second best student presentation).
- Tiwari, B., and Upadhyaya, S. (2013). “Improvement of Seismic Ground Shaking using Soil Reinforcement Panel,” In Proceeding of Second Joint Annual Conference of the American Society of Nepalese Engineers and Computer Association of Nepal, USA.