Evaluation of earthquake-induced free-field settlement under partially drained conditions from dynamic centrifuge tests

Numerous empirical correlations are available to estimate shaking-induced settlement of saturated, coarse-grained soils. These correlations, widely used in practice, were developed using laboratory cyclic shear tests of small specimens tested under either drained or undrained conditions. In particular, settlements of liquefiable soils are estimated using correlations derived from undrained laboratory element cyclic tests. However, simultaneous settlement and porewater pressure increase in dynamic centrifuge tests suggest that partial drainage may occur in the field. In this study, we compare shaking-induced settlements measured in dynamic centrifuge tests with settlements computed using three correlations for drained conditions and three correlations for undrained conditions. The comparisons illustrate that correlations based on drained conditions typically underestimate significantly the measured settlements, while correlations based on undrained conditions typically overestimate significantly the measured settlements.