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Published August 1993 | public
Journal Article

Project VELACS-Control Test Results

Abstract

Results presented in this paper represent the first part of research produced by the Verification of Liquefaction Analysis by Centrifuge Studies (VELACS), a cooperative research effort involving eight universities. Ultimately, the objective of the project is to perform a series of dynamic centrifuge model tests on a variety of different soil models to study the mechanisms of liquefaction‐induced failure and to use the results of these tests to verify various numerical procedures used in the analysis of liquefaction problems. However, prior to completing this final part of the project, a series of model tests was run by each of the eight universities to evaluate the dependence of centrifuge test results on the testing apparatus and test team; these results are presented here. Each university performed one model test using a standard model box; soil‐ and test‐preparation technique; soil configuration; and input earthquake motion. Model accelerations, pore‐water pressures, and surface settlements were measured during the eight tests and are compared in this paper. The test results help to define a general mechanism of liquefaction and show that similar results can be obtained when testing standard models at different centrifuge facilities. Although some scatter was observed, the results are sufficiently close to endorse their use in analysis validation exercises.

Additional Information

© 1993 American Society of Civil Engineers. Discussion open until January 1, 1994. To extend the closing date one month, a written request must be filed with the ASCE Manager of Journals. The manuscript for this paper was submitted for review and possible publication on April 17, 1992. This paper is part of the Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 119, No. 8, August, 1993. Paper No. 3919. This work was funded under NSF Grant No. BCS9000390; the program manager is Mr. Clifford Astill. The writers wish to express their thanks to Mr. Astill for his patience and cooperation in a complicated project. The following investigators at the various universities were responsible for obtaining the results reported briefly here. It would not have been possible to bring the research effort to this stage without their enthusiasm and cooperation: F. Astaneh, Grad. Student, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.; A. Bastani, Grad. Student, Univ. of California, Davis, Calif.; R. Dobry, Prof., Rensselaer Polytech. Inst., Troy, N.Y.; A. Elgamal, Prof., Rensselaer Polytech. Inst., Troy, N.Y.; G. L. Fiegel, Grad. Student, Univ. of California, Davis, Calif.; B. Hushmand, Lect., California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, Calif. ; G. R. Iglesia, Grad. Student, Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, Mass.; H. Y. Ko, Prof., Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.; I. Krstelj, Grad. Student, Princeton Univ., Princeton, N.J.;B. L. Kutter, Assoc. Prof., Univ. of California, Davis, Calif.; L. Liu, Grad. Student, Rensselaer Polytech. Inst., Troy, N.Y.; J. H. Prevost, Princeton Univ., Princeton, N.J. ; A. N. Schofield, Prof., Cambridge Univ., Cambridge, England; M. F. Riemer, Grad. Student, Univ. of California, Berkeley, Calif.; R. B. Seed, Assoc. Prof., Univ. of California, Berkeley, Calif.; S. Sture, Prof., Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.; N. H. Ting, Grad. Student, Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, Mass.; R. V. Whitman, Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, Mass.; and X. Zeng, Res. Fellow, Cambridge Univ., Cambridge, England.

Additional details

Created:
August 20, 2023
Modified:
October 17, 2023