Potential for Liquefaction-Induced Lateral Spreading in Interbedded Deposits Considering Spatial Variability

Abstract

Analyses of liquefaction-induced lateral spreading during earthquakes often contain simplifying assumptions about the stratigraphy of a site (i.e., selecting representative cross sections and properties), which can be a major source of uncertainty in the estimated deformations. This paper examines the potential for liquefaction-induced lateral spreading in a deposit of interbedded sand and clay using nonlinear deformation analyses. The soil is modeled as a binary mix with varying percentages of potentially liquefiable sand and non-liquefiable clay. The location of each soil type is represented through different realizations of interbedded stratigraphy generated using a probabilistic geologic model and a correlation structure consistent with natural fluvial deposition. The procedures used to generate these realizations and perform the dynamic numerical simulations are described. Different distributions of sand and clay are examined to determine how the percentage of liquefiable material influences the magnitude of surface deformations. The undrained strength of the clay is varied to further explore how this affects the relationship between deformation and sand percentage.

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“…For example, the widespread over-prediction of liquefaction severity in Christchurch, New Zealand, for complex, highly interlayered soil profiles is partially attributed to this phenomenon (e.g. Boulanger et al, 2016; Cox et al, 2017; McLaughlin, 2017; Maurer et al, 2014; Yost et al, 2019).…”