Liquefaction of saturated loose and cemented granular soils

A coupled continuum-discrete hydromechanical model was utilized to analyze the liquefaction of saturated granular soils in loose and cemented deposits. The pore fluid motion was idealized using averaged Navier–Stokes equations and the discrete element method was employed to model the granular particles. Parallel bonds were used to idealize the effects of inter-particle cementation. Well established semi-empirical relationships were utilized to quantify the fluid–particle interactions. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the response of saturated granular deposits when subjected to a dynamic base excitation. The outcome of these simulations was consistent with experimental observations, and revealed a number of salient micro-mechanical mechanisms associated with soil liquefaction and the impact of cementation. The employed continuum-discrete hydromechanical model provides an effective tool to assess the intricate micro-mechanical response mechanism of saturated loose and cemented soils.