Evaluation of the in situ state of Fraser River sand

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Christian, H.
  • Morgenstern, N.
  • Chillarige, A. R.
  • Robertson, P. K.

• Abstract: Liquefaction flow slides are recurrent phenomena in the Fraser River delta near Sand Heads. The reasons for these failures an unexplained and remained speculative. An investigation of a liquefaction flow slide that occurred in 1985 in the Fraser River near Sand Heads has been undertaken using steady state concepts. For liquefaction flow slides to occur in sand deposits, the sand must strain soften in undrained shear and the in situ shear stresses must be greater than the available undrained shear strength. Laboratory tests have been performed on reconstituted Fraser River sand samples to establish steady state parameters. Moist tamping methods and water pluviation techniques were used for preparing soil samples in the laboratory. Shear wave velocity measurements were used to evaluate the in situ state of the young, uncemented sand deposits. The in situ state of the young sand deposits near Sand Heads was found to be on the loose side of steady state, consistent with the field observation of instability.

• Date created

  1997

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Steady state
  • Liquefaction
  • In situ state
  • Shear wave velocity

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3RV0D135

• License

  © 1997 NRC Research Press (Canadian Science Publishing). This version of this article is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The original author(s) and source must be cited.