A developed procedure for predicting the risk of liquefaction: A case study of Rasht city

Abstract

Soil liquefaction is one of the most important and complex seismic geotechnical and engineering topics. Most experimental methods in the study of liquefaction have been based on deterministic analysis, and parameters, such as soil resistance and earthquake loads, have been considered without dispersion and fault. Statistical analysis, particularly reliability analysis, is a new and comprehensive approach used to solve and evaluate problems, as well as entering of uncertainties in calculations. In this study, information on 50 boreholes were obtained using a database of Standard Penetration Test (STP), and diverse experimental procedures, such as NCEER2001, Idriss and Boulanger, Highway bridge of Japan, OCDI and reliability approach, were used in the evaluation of soil liquefaction in Rasht and finally, the results were compared with each other. By comparing the different methods, it was observed that these methods do not correspond with clay soils and their results were different from each other. Also, safety factor of greater or lesser than one is the mean of safety and occurrence of liquefaction, therefore, reliability analysis was used to ensure the probability of liquefaction. Finally, two empirical relationships based on the probability of liquefaction (PL) and safety factor (FS) were proposed from which the liquefaction potential can be calculated directly. Soil liquefaction risk can be assessed by the proposed relationship between (PL) and (FS) based on deterministic approaches.