CANLEX (Canadian Liquefaction Experiment): A One Year Update

The Canadian Geotechnical engineering community has embarked on a major study regarding the liquefaction of sand entitled The Canadian Liquefaction Experiment (CANLEX) through a collaborative effort of industry, engineering consultants and university participants, with the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The study is examining the characterization of sand for dynamic and static liquefaction. The project was started in 1993 and is expected to last at least 3 years with equal funding by both industry and NSERC for a total of about C$1.8M. This paper provides a brief progress report on the Project. Three test sites have been selected and characterized using in-situ testing, conventional sampling as well as in-situ freezing to obtain undisturbed samples. Laboratory testing is underway on both reconstituted samples and undisturbed samples. A full scale liquefaction event is planned for year three of the Project and a feasibility study regarding the event has been completed. As part of the planning for the liquefaction event some preliminary centrifuge testing has been carried out. A static liquefaction flow failure has been successfully produced in the centrifuge. As part of the Project, a set of definitions for liquefaction have been defined and a flow chart developed to aid in the liquefaction analyses