Analysis of the variability in the assessment of the liquefaction potential due to the use of different in situ tests, versions of the simplified procedure and input parameters

Abstract

The 2010 Maule earthquake with a magnitude Mw = 8.8 caused significant liquefaction-induced damage in a large area of Chile, showing the importance of properly evaluating the potential occurrence of this phenomenon in civil engineering projects. Usually, this assessment is based on the simplified procedure originally developed by Seed and Idriss (1971). However, alternative versions of this procedure currently exist, which can produce different results. This variability is added to other sources of uncertainty that are present in the evaluation, which are not quantified in practice. In this paper, we examine the variability in the evaluation of liquefaction potential that is introduced by the utilization of different in situ tests, versions of the simplified procedure, and input parameters. For this, we study three sites located in different regions of the country, where SPT and CPTu results are available. The main objective is to show the effects that this variability can have on the conclusions of this type of analysis.