Shear wave velocity-based liquefaction evaluation in the great Wenchuan earthquake: a preliminary case study

                                                           Zhou Yanguo, Chen Yunmin and Ling Daosheng

MOE Key Laboratory of Soft Soils and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, Zhejiang
University, Hangzhou 310058, China

Abstract: The great Wenchuan earthquake (Ms = 8.0) in 2008 caused severe damage in the western part of the Chengdu
Plain. Soil liquefaction was one of the major causes of damage in the plain areas, and proper evaluation of liquefaction
potential is important in the definition of the seismic hazard facing a given region and post-earthquake reconstruction. In this
paper, a simplified procedure is proposed for liquefaction assessment of sandy deposits using shear wave velocity (Vs), and
soil liquefaction from the Banqiao School site was preliminarily investigated after the earthquake. Boreholes were made at the
site and shear wave velocities were measured both by SASW and down-hole methods. Based on the in-situ soil information
and Vs profiles, the liquefaction potential of this site was evaluated. The results are reasonably consistent with the actual field
behavior observed after the earthquake, indicating that the proposed procedure is effective. The possible effects of gravel and
fines contents on liquefaction of sandy soils were also briefly discussed.

Keywords: liquefaction; Wenchuan earthquake; shear wave velocity; spectral analysis of surface waves (SASW); hazard
definition




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