Laboratory-Based Correlation between Liquefaction Resistance and Shear Wave Velocity of Sand with Fines

This paper presents the results of a laboratory investigation into the effect of non-plastic fines on the correlation between liquefaction resistance and the shear wave velocity of sand. For this purpose, undrained stress-controlled cyclic triaxial and bender element tests were performed on clean sand and its mixtures with non-plastic silt. It is shown that the correlation between liquefaction resistance and shear wave velocity depends on fines content and confining effective stress. Based on the test results, correlation curves between field liquefaction resistance and overburden stress corrected shear wave velocity for sand containing various contents of fines are derived. These curves are compared to other previously proposed by field and laboratory studies.