PEER has just published Report No. 2017/02 titled “U.S.–New Zealand–Japan International Workshop, Liquefaction-Induced Ground Movement Effects, University of California, Berkeley, California 2–4 November 2016.” It was authored by Jonathan D. Bray, Ross W. Boulanger, Misko Cubrinovski, Kohji Tokimatsu, Steven L. Kramer, Thomas O’Rourke, Ellen Rathje, Russell A. Green, Peter K. Robertson, Christine Z. Beyzaei. The workshop was sponsored by the National Science Foundation under award number CMMI-1640922.
Visit the PEER publications page to download a free color pdf of the document.
Abstract excerpt:
There is much to learn from the recent New Zealand and Japan earthquakes. These earthquakes produced differing levels of liquefaction-induced ground movements that damaged buildings, bridges, and buried utilities. Along with the often spectacular observations of infrastructure damage, there were many cases where well-built facilities located in areas of liquefaction-induced ground failure were not damaged. Researchers are working on characterizing and learning from these observations of both poor and good performance.
The “Liquefaction-Induced Ground Movements Effects” workshop provided an opportunity to take advantage of recent research investments following these earthquake events to develop a path forward for an integrated understanding of how infrastructure performswith various levels of liquefaction. Fifty-five researchers in the field, two-thirds from the U.S. and one-third from New Zealand and Japan, convened in Berkeley, California, in November 2016. The objective of the workshop was to identify research thrusts offering the greatest potential for advancing our capabilities for understanding, evaluating, and mitigating the effects of liquefaction-induced ground movements on structures and lifelines. The workshop also advanced the development of younger researchers by identifying promising research opportunities and approaches, and promoting future collaborations among participants.
During the workshop, participants identified five cross-cutting research priorities that need to be addressed to advance our scientific understanding of and engineering procedures for soil liquefaction effects during earthquakes. Accordingly, this report was organized to address five research themes: (1) case history data; (2) integrated site characterization; (3) numerical analysis; (4) challenging soils; and (5) effects and mitigation of liquefaction in the built environment and communities. These research themes provide an integrated approach toward transformative advances in addressing liquefaction hazards worldwide.