Liquefaction During the October 12, 1992, Egyptian Dahshure Earthquake

On October 12, 1992 a moderate earthquake MB = 5.9 (MS = 5.2) occurred about 18 km southwest of the center of Cairo and resulted in significant damage to numerous poorly constructed structures. Soil liquefaction associated with the occurrence of large sand-boils was observed close to the epicenter. As a consequence, a main road suffered a maximum settlement of about 1.75 m. In this study, the earthquake characteristics, soil profiles and resulting liquefaction are discussed. The observed liquefaction mechanisms provide valuable information on the seismic response of Nile deposited alluvial soils. Such soils constitute much of the inhabited area of Egypt