THE BEHAVIOR OF PICKWICK LANDING DAM SAND UNDER CYCLIC LOADING

ABSTRACT: This paper presents the cyclic load-controlled tests to investigate the liquefaction potential of non-plastic soil samples. The 71 mm diameter samples were trimmed from undisturbed-frozen samples and tested using the MTS servo controlled dynamic testing system. The tests were conducted at the effective confining pressures (σ’3) of 107 kPa (1 tsf) and 321 kPa (3 tsf) with the frequency of 1 Hz. The results show that the almost all samples reach a zero effective strength condition (σ’ ≈ 0) at the cyclic strains between 0.5 % and 4%. The relation between number of cycles, to generate 1 % cyclic strain, and the stress ratio is linear. The tendency of pore pressure buildup at 1% cyclic strain decreases with the increase of stress ratio