Free Field Plane Strain Simulation of Soil Liquefaction Using Finite Element Analysis

Soil liquefaction is a widely researched field that aims to minimize the devastating consequences of earthquakes. Researchers have tried to capture the liquefaction and post-liquefaction behaviour of soil using advanced constitutive models. These constitutive models are based on soil plasticity formulation, which requires estimating soil properties from field and laboratory tests. Various constitutive models have different input parameters, albeit trying to capture the same response of the soil. This study considers the pressure-dependent multi-yield surface PDMY03 model and PM4Sand model for a comparative study. A finite element analysis is conducted using coupled hydro-mechanical elements for a free field plane strain scenario to compare the liquefaction triggering for selected soil profiles subjected to the earthquake motions at the base using these two constitutive models in OpenSees. It is observed that the PDMY03 model predicts a different depth of liquefaction than the PM4Sand model for the earthquake motions. The study highlights the importance of the choice of a constitutive model for the assessment of soil liquefaction.