Evaluation of the Liquefaction Potential of Sand under Random Loading Conditions: Equivalent Approach Versus Energy-Based Method

This paper presents a systematic experimental investigation into the liquefaction behavior of saturated sand subject to cyclic loadings with various types of random time histories. The triaxial test results indicate that the pore pressure generation and liquefaction resistance of sand are significantly influenced by the amplitude and sequence of stress pulses in the random loadings. The energy-based method using the energy density concept was applied in liquefaction assessment, which is found to be superior to the conventional equivalent approach that involving uniform stress cycles and can better capture the effect of loading randomness on the liquefaction behavior of sand.