Developments of soil improvement technologies for mitigation of liquefaction risk

Abstract

Studies on liquefaction have a history of more than 40 years since Niigata and Anchorage were attacked by disastrous earthquakes. The topics of interest have changed with time and recent interest is focused on advanced mitigation which can achieve cost-effectiveness and/or is useful for existing structures. The present text describes recent experimental studies in both laboratory and field. The concerned mitigation technologies consist of blasting for low cost, grouting of colloidal silica for existing and sensitive structures, and drain pipes which are feasible in a small space under an existing structure. The conducted tests showed how they have advantages over other methods if they are used in appropriate conditions. © 2007 Springer.