What is the primary cause of soil liquefaction during an earthquake?

Practice Questions

Q1
What is the primary cause of soil liquefaction during an earthquake?
  1. Increased pore water pressure
  2. Decreased soil density
  3. Increased soil cohesion
  4. Decreased effective stress

Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions

What is the primary cause of soil liquefaction during an earthquake?
  • Step 1: Understand that soil is made up of solid particles and water.
  • Step 2: During an earthquake, the ground shakes and causes vibrations.
  • Step 3: These vibrations can increase the pressure of water that is trapped in the spaces between soil particles, known as pore water pressure.
  • Step 4: When the pore water pressure increases, it pushes against the soil particles.
  • Step 5: This increased pressure reduces the effective stress, which is the force that keeps the soil particles together.
  • Step 6: When the effective stress is reduced, the soil can lose its strength and start to behave like a liquid.
  • Step 7: This process is called soil liquefaction.
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