Liquefaction performance of soils at the site of a partially completed ground improvement project during the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan

Abstract

This paper examines the liquefaction performance of soils at the site of a partially completed ground improvement project at the Chang-Hwa Coastal Industrial Park during the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan. The site is on land reclaimed by hydraulic filling. To meet the need of a planned construction, site characterization was carried out with standard penetration tests (SPTs) and cone penetration tests (CPTs) at 13 locations. Dynamic compaction was later performed to mitigate the potential liquefaction hazards at this site. Before completion of the ground improvement work, the site experienced a major earthquake, the Chi-Chi earthquake (magnitude Mw = 7.6). Evidence of liquefaction was observed in this earthquake in the unimproved area but not in the improved area. After the earthquake, additional site exploration was carried out using SPTs and CPTs. The data from these in situ tests carried out before and after the earthquake and in areas with and without ground improvement are analyzed and the results are reported.Key words: ground improvement, in situ tests, liquefaction, earthquake.