CYCLIC LIQUEFACTION AND ITS EVALUATION BASED ON THE SPT AND CPT

Abstract

Soil liquefaction is a major concern for structures constructed with or on sandy soils. This paper describes the phenomena of soil liquefaction, provides suitable definitions, and provides an update on methods to evaluate cyclic liquefaction using primarily the Standard Penetration Test (SPT) and the Cone Penetration Test (CPT). A new method is described to estimate grain characteristics directly from the CPT and to incorporate this into one of the methods for evaluating resistance to cyclic loading. A method is also described for correcting the results of the CPT in thin layers. A worked example is also provided. This paper is the final submission from the authors to the proceedings of the 1996 NCEER workshop on soil liquefaction; a similar version has been submitted for review to the Canadian Geotechnical Journal.