Postliquefaction Deformation of Embankments and Effects on Restraining Piles

There are three levels of analysis for assessing the postliquefaction stability of embankments: limit equilibrium analysis using residual strength, Newmark sliding block analysis using residual strength, and finite element large strain displacement analysis. The first two types are well known and often used. In recent years, finite element analysis has been used increasingly for important projects involving life safety and large remediation costs. The application of finite element analysis is illustrated by two case histories—failure of a river protection dike in Japan, and the seismic safety evaluation and subsequent remediation of Sardis Dam in Mississippi. The latter example is particularly relevant to pile-supported abutments because the upstream slope of the dam was nailed to a stable foundation layer using prestressed concrete piles. The determination of the static and dynamic moments and shears in these piles would not have been possible without the finite element analysis. A crucial problem affecting the reliability of all methods of analysis is determining the appropriate value for the residual strength.