Centrifuge modelling in liquefiable ground before and after the application of remediation techniques

This paper describes the small scale centrifuge modelling activities performed at ISMGEO (Istituto Sperimentale Modelli Geotecnici, formerly ISMES – Italy) laboratory in the frame of the H2020 LIQUEFACT project (http://www.liquefact.eu/). The main aim of the experimentation was to analyze the seismic behavior of loose, saturated, sandy deposits, homogeneous or stratified, subjected to increasing seismic excitations up to liquefaction and to verify the effectiveness of different liquefaction mitigation techniques. Some tests were carried out under free field condition, in some others a simple structure based on shallow foundations was modelled. Thirty-seven centrifuge tests were carried out to this aim, organized in three series: the first one aimed at investigating the liquefaction triggering conditions, the second and third ones devoted at analyzing the effectiveness of three selected liquefaction mitigation techniques: vertical drains, horizontal drains and “Induced Partial Saturation” (IPS). Some of the most significant results are presented in this paper.