Civil Engineering and Architecture Vol. 12(3), pp. 1474 - 1489
DOI: 10.13189/cea.2024.120316
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Predicting Liquefaction Susceptibility in North-East Morocco: Comparative Analysis of Semi-empirical Methods and UBC3D-PLM Model

Fatima Ezzahraa Latifi ^*, Khadija Baba
Civil and Environmental Engineering Laboratory (LGCE), Mohammadia Engineering School, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco

ABSTRACT

Liquefaction is one of the most important and complex phenomena in soil dynamics, threatening the stability of infrastructures, structures, foundations, and even causing serious human and economic damage. This phenomenon can be the induced effect of seismic shocks, where the increase in interstitial pressure reduces shear strength. As a result, saturated soil strength decreases and its capacity to support loads is reduced, leading to liquefaction susceptibility and deformations. This brutal and temporary phenomenon has attracted the attention of many researchers around the world in the wake of the deadly earthquakes in Alaska and Niigata (1964). The aim of this article is twofold. Firstly, it examines two techniques for accurate assessment of liquefaction potential, identifying the most appropriate approach for our study area. This approach involves the use of semi-empirical methods based on the cyclic stress approach and the application of the UBC3D-PLM constitutive model in Plaxis 2D software. In parallel, the article seeks to highlight the vulnerability of northeastern Morocco to liquefaction, a geotechnical region renowned for its instability and intense seismic activity. The present research is based on data from geotechnical investigation results, including both laboratory experiments and in-situ tests, in particular the dynamic penetrometer test (SPT), focusing on a specific area situated in Saidia town, located in the northeastern region of Morocco. Moreover, it demonstrates the assessment of liquefaction potential using Youd et al. (2001) method, and Idriss et al. (2004) method, which show and identify layers with a high susceptibility to liquefaction, as the layers constituted by clean to moderately compact silty and sand from depths 8.00 to 8.90m and layers consisting of loose silty sands to sandy silts at depths 9.50 to 9.70m. In addition, we have been able to produce a numerical analysis for the same study area, using the constitutive UBC3D-PLM model, to confirm the liquefaction susceptibility and to compare it with earlier results from semi-empirical methods. Lastly, the results of this analysis showed that the UBC3D-PLM model has a relatively higher liquefaction potential than the other methods, such as for the soil layer above 12m.

KEYWORDS
Liquefaction, UBC3D-PLM Model, Semi-Empirical Methods, Dynamic Penetrometer Test (SPT), Liquefaction Potential

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Fatima Ezzahraa Latifi , Khadija Baba , "Predicting Liquefaction Susceptibility in North-East Morocco: Comparative Analysis of Semi-empirical Methods and UBC3D-PLM Model," Civil Engineering and Architecture, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 1474 - 1489, 2024. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2024.120316.

(b). APA Format:
Fatima Ezzahraa Latifi , Khadija Baba (2024). Predicting Liquefaction Susceptibility in North-East Morocco: Comparative Analysis of Semi-empirical Methods and UBC3D-PLM Model. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 12(3), 1474 - 1489. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2024.120316.