Term paper presentation on Soil and Site Improvement Methods

LIQUEFACTION MITIGATION TROUGH

INDUCED PARTIAL SATURATION (IPS)
PREPARED BY
Syed Uzair us Salam
Muhammad Farjad Sami
MS-Geotech-2014
Concept
• Induced Partial Liquefaction (IPS) is adapted to reduce pore water
pressure in sand voids to mitigate liquefaction.
• Air/gas is introduced into soil voids, whenever seismic shaking is
produced, pore water pressure is increased and ultimately that pore
pressure instead of rendering sand particles apart from each other,
will exert pressure to air/gas voids, which ultimately displace gas or
air volume.
• Effective Stresses are not reduced to zero (as in case of
liquefaction).
Phenomena Explained
• In triaxial testing for liquefaction, if soil sample is not fully saturated
then its liquefaction resistance is over estimated.

Figure.1. Induced Partial Saturation

How to Achieve IPS
• Induced partial liquefaction in soils can be achieved through
electrolysis.
• Electrolysis or Electrokinetics is also used to dewater clays.
• Electrolysis uses Anode and Cathode for the production of gasses.

At Cathode: 4H2O + 4e- 4OH- + 2H2

At Anode: 2H2O – 2e- O2 + 4H+

Laboratory Testing
• Tests on Induced Partially Saturated (IPS) sand samples were
conducted on large liquefaction tank mounted on shaking table to
mimic seismic conditions.
• Test tank was provided with displacement and pore water pressure
transducers to get deformation and pore pressure readings.

Figure.2. Top View of Liquefaction tank

Testing Results

Figure.3. Shear Strain Measured from Displacement Transducer

Testing Results
• Results by pore water
pressure transducers at top
and bottom of test
specimen are shown in
figure.4.
• Pore water pressure in
Induced Partially Saturated
Sand (S= 86.5 %) is
significantly lesser than Figure.4. Pore Water pressures in Fully Saturated
that in fully saturated sand and Induced Partially Saturated Samples
(S= 99.7%).
Comparison of Test Results
• Bayat et al. did test on fully saturated and Induced Partially
Saturated (IPS) sand samples. Table below shows the comparison
of results for samples with different degrees of Saturation.

Table.1. Test Results on Induced Partially Saturated Sand sample by Bayat et al.
Long term endurance of Air/Gas in Sand
• For practical implication of this technique main question is; for how
long these Air/Gas bubbles will remain entrapped in sand voids?.
• Literature shows a test in which 1.2 m long IPS sand sample was
placed in plexiglass tube and sample was tested under upward and
downward flow of water. Hydaulic gradient is applied between top
and bottom of tube and water is kept running for 18 hours. Even after
that the saturation just increased from 82.6% to 83.6% (1%).
References
• Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering by Steven L. Kramer.
• ‘A New Mitigation Technique For Preventing Liquefaction Induced
Building Damages During Earthquakes’, Bayat, Yegian, Alshawabkeh
and Goyker, WCCE-ECCE
• Induced Partial Saturation for Liquefaction Mitigation: Experimental
Investigation, S.Ali et al. J of Geotech. And Geoenviron. Engg.
THANKYOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE