LITERATURE REVIEW

The majority of liquefaction studies to date have concentrated on relatively clean sand.
Some research has been undertaken on soils within grain size range of very silty sand
with or without some clay content. And there are abundance of evidence to show that
they can be susceptible to liquefaction.

In subsequent paragraphs, liquefaction is defined as the phenomena where high excess

pore pressures are induced under cyclic earthquake loading leading to severe loss of
strength and stiffness.

The grain size boundary between silt and clay is generally set as 0.002mm. Japan and
China set the boundary at 0.005mm. The mineralogy of the clay grain tend to make it
Platey shaped and exhibit plasticity. This plasticity is caused by Hydrogen Bond and Van
Der Waal Bond forces of attraction between grains.

KEY SOIL PARAMETERS THAT PARTITION LIQUIFIABLE & NON-

LIQUEFIABLE SILTY SOIL
1. Seed et al (1983) outlined criteria, derived from case histories in China (Wang,
1979) which provided a basis for partitioning clayey soils vulnerable to severe
strength loss as a results of earthquake shaking.
Seed et al outlined that Clay content and Liquid Limit are the key Soil parameters that
partition liquefiable and Non-liquefiable silty soils.

2. Figueroa et al. (1995) examined grain size distribution of soil samples collected
from liquefaction related sand boils generated at Lower San Fernando Dam,
California during Northridge earthquake of 1994.

3. Kishida (1970) observed the grain size distribution of boils ejected at Nanachama
Beach, Japan during Tokachioki earthquake of 1968. He studied grain size
 distribution of soil till depth of 17m. The boil consists of Sandy Silt with Clay content
of less than 10%.
4. Tokimatsu and Yoshimi (1983) studied 70 case histories of liquefaction inside
Japan resulting from 10 earthquakes as well as about 20 case histories of liquefaction
outside Japan.
5. Tuttle et al. (1990) documented dmaging liquefaction that occurred at Ferland,
Canada during the Saguenay earthquake of 1988.
6. Wang (1979) recorded the occurence of liquefaction in Silty Sand to slightly
Sandy Silt during Haicheng, China earthquake of 1975 and Tangshan, China
earthquake of 1976and prepared a chart indicating the grain size of these soils.

CONCLUSION: -
1. Seed et al. concluded that the clayey soil vulnerable to lose strength has following
characteristics:
1. Clay Content (% Finer than 0.005mm) < 15%
2. Liquid Limit < 35%
3. Water Content > 0.9 times Liquid Limit
2. The study of Figueroa et al. indicates that the soil liquefying was very silty Sand
with Clay content less than 10%.
3. Kishida (1970) indicated that the soil that has clay content greater than 10%
appeared to have not liquefied.
4. Tokimatsu and Yoshimi has studied and identified that the liquefaction
susceptibility at a clay content of about 10% would be appropriate.
5. Tuttle indicated that the soil liquefying was very silty sand with a clay content
less than 10%.
6. The study and observation of Wang indicated a cutoff for liquefaction
susceptibility at a clay content of about 10%.