Newmark Analysis of Lateral Spreading Induced by Liquefaction

Newmark analyses of lateral spreading induced by liquefaction were conducted using a database of 22 documented case histories. Site stratigraphy and SPT values for the liquefiable soil were based upon the case-history documentation. The yield acceleration was estimated based on post-liquefaction residual shear strength estimated using three different correlations with SPT blow count. Representative acceleration time histories were selected from time histories recorded in the earthquake. The probabilistic analysis using a truncated normal distribution indicates that the lateral spreading displacement calculated using the Olson and Johnson correlation will be no more than twice the reported displacement with a confidence of 97%.

Automated summary

This study conducts Newmark analyses on lateral spreading induced by liquefaction using a database of 22 documented case histories. The site stratigraphy and SPT values for the liquefiable soil are determined based on the case-history documentation. The yield acceleration is estimated using three different correlations with SPT blow count to estimate the post-liquefaction residual shear strength. Representative acceleration time histories from earthquake recordings are selected. The probabilistic analysis suggests that the lateral spreading displacement calculated using the Olson and Johnson correlation will not exceed twice the reported displacement with a confidence level of 97%.