Liquefaction Analysis Using PLAXIS

Liquefaction Analysis using PLAXIS
CONTENTS
01 02. 03. 04.

Liquefaction Constitutive Model Damping Meshing
05. 06. 07. 08.

Loading Boundary Condition Analysis Results Conclusions
2 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

Liquefaction
Under static and cyclic loading, dry cohesionless soil tends to densify. If these soils are
saturated and the applied load acts in a short time, as in case of earthquake, the tendency to
densify causes an increase in excess pore pressure that can’t be rapidly dissipated and
consequently decrease in effective stresses occurs.
This phenomenon can be explained considering that the shear resistance for cohesionless
soils is given by Coulomb’s formula:
where σ'vo is the initial effective stress and φ is the friction angle

Liquefaction
According to Terzaghi’s formula, the effective stress is given by:
where σvo is the total vertical stress and u is the pore pressure. When the excess pore pressure
develop during an earthquake, the equation can be written as
where is the excess pore pressure

Constitutive Model
UBC3D-PLM Sand Model:
The selection of appropriate soil constitutive models in engineering problems is an important

aspect of the modeling process
It is an effective stress elasto-plastic model which can simulate the liquefaction behavior of
sands and silty sands under seismic loading. (Tsegaye(2010), Peralas & Galavi(2012))

Constitutive Model
It employs two yield surface to guarantee a smooth
transition into the liquefied state of the soil and to
enable distinction between primary and secondary
loading.
The UBC3D-PLM model incorporates a densification

law through a secondary yield surface with kinematic
hardening rule that improves precision of evolution of
excess pore pressure.

Constitutive Model

Damping
a) Hysteresis Damping of the soil model can capture damping at strains larger than 10-4-10-2%,
depending on the values of material properties.
b) Soil behavior is irreversible even at low deformation levels. Hence additional damping is
needed to model realistic damping characteristics of soils in dynamic calculations. This can
be done by means of Rayleigh damping

Rayleigh Damping
The fundamental frequency of soil deposit is defined as frequency at which the most
amplification can be expected, and it corresponds to the first mode shape.
1. The frequency of target 1 is given by
Where vs is the shear wave velocity in the soil deposit, that is function of the shear stiffness modulus G
2. The frequency of Target 2 can be calculated as fp/f1 where

fp is the fundamental frequency for the input signal can be
determined by considering the Fourier spectrum of the input
signal at bedrock and f1 is frequency of Target 1.
It is suggested to keep the same value of damping ratio for

both Target 1 and 2.

Meshing & Size of the Model
The mesh generation is fully automatic and based on robust triangulation procedure in
PLAXIS.
Kuhlemeyer & Lysmer (1973) suggest to assume a size less than or equal to one-eight of the
wavelength associated with the maximum frequency component fmax of the input wave( i.e.
the highest frequency component that contains appreciable energy)
For example, Average Vs=100m/s, fmax= 5 Hz, Average element size =2.8m
Size of the model =2.5m

Loading
Design response Spectra

Ground Motion acceleration-Time History Function

Boundary Condition
1. Tied degrees of freedom option allows to successfully model a reduced geometry for a 1D
wave propagation analysis, while the bottom boundary can be modeled as a compliant
base by applying a prescribed displacement without any conversion to a distributed load(A
Laera & R.B.J. Brinkgreve)
2. For the base of the model, the most common case is that of a soil deposit with nonlinear
behavior overlying a bedrock, assumed to behave linearly and to be able to absorb
downward propagating waves. This can be achieved by complaint base.

Boundary Condition-Compliant Base
Compliant base is based on same principles of free field boundaries, where free field
elements are added to main domain and are connected to it by means of dashpots attached
in normal and shear directions.
1. It must be noted that only upward motion is needed, If the earthquake is

recorded at outcrop of rock formation it consists of superposition of
upward and downward propagating waves, i.e., half of the motion should
be used as input to the analysis( since the upward and downward waves
amplitudes are the same)
2. If the input motion is recorded at the outcrop of rock like formation with
high shear wave velocity and elastic properties, it is required to define a
thin layer at base of the model with properties of the rock.

Analysis Results
Pore Pressure Ratio

The liquefaction potential can be expressed by means of excess pore pressure ratio, ru which
represents the ratio of excess pore pressure and the initial effective vertical stress at that
depth
If Pore pressure ration<1, No Liquefaction.

If Pore pressure ratio>=1, Liquefaction occurs

Analysis Results
Amplification
At 4m below Ground Level
At Bedrock

Analysis Results
Liquefaction Points

Conclusions(Advantages)
1. With dynamic analysis using UBC Sand model, one can simulate the generation of excess
pore water pressure in the soil.
2. Nonlinear time history analysis uses earthquake time history function to predict
liquefaction.
3. In addition to Factor of safety, it gives insight to the designer for a list of output like
amplification, and information of build up of excess pore pressure(ru),liquefaction/plastic
point.
4. Post Liquefaction behavior can be simulated using UBC Sand Model
5. Liquefaction remedial measures could be modeled in 2D/3D to study its effectiveness

Conclusions(Limitations)
1. It should be noted that any soil model, even the most complex, is a simplification of the
real soil behavior and it involves certain number of limitations. One hand constitutive
models with reduced number of parameters are quite easy to calibrate but more
assumptions on soil behavior. On other hand, complex constitutive models gives the
possibility to model more features of the soil behavior, but they require adequate
knowledge of the model parameters and an extensive soil characterization to perform an
appropriate calibration.
2. The limitation associated with the material model. For UBC Sand, it is not appropriate to
generate the initial stresses and associated overdamping due to the use of Gmax in elastic
unloading. Further Study: Use of PM4 Sand material Model

Thank you
+971-558685045
[email protected]
https://www.fugro.com/

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What is liquefaction?

What is liquefaction?

What is the UBC3D-PLM sand model?

What is the UBC3D-PLM sand model?

Liquefaction Analysis using PLAXIS

01 02. 03. 04.

05. 06. 07. 08.

2 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

3 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

According to Terzaghi’s formula, the effective stress is given by:

where is the excess pore pressure

4 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

UBC3D-PLM Sand Model:

The selection of appropriate soil constitutive models in engineering problems is an important

5 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

The UBC3D-PLM model incorporates a densification

6 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

7 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

8 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

2. The frequency of Target 2 can be calculated as fp/f1 where

It is suggested to keep the same value of damping ratio for

9 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

Size of the model =2.5m

10 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

Design response Spectra

11 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

12 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

1. It must be noted that only upward motion is needed, If the earthquake is

13 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

Pore Pressure Ratio

If Pore pressure ration<1, No Liquefaction.

14 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

At 4m below Ground Level

15 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

16 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

17 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

18 Liquefaction Analysis using Plaxis

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