3D numerical simulation of large ground displacement caused by seismic liquefaction

The large ground displacement caused by seismic liquefaction is one of the main reasons which induce the failure of engineering structures. According to the typical three-layer foundation at sloping field, the process of the ground displacement due to liquefaction is analyzed by using FLAC 3D. The numerical simulation considers the main effecting factors, including the earthquake, topography, soil and groundwater characteristics. The results indicate that lateral displacements become larger when the gradients of the free face and ground surface increase. The lateral displacement of the site with variational gradients is larger than that of the site with single gradient. The surface lateral displacement, subsidence and upheaval become more serious when the ground maximal acceleration and earthquake time increase. The burying depth, thickness of the liquefaction layer and the ground water level affect the large ground displacement also. So, the reasonable ground improvement scheme should be considered according to the actual conditions.