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Modal analysis of pile-supported structures during seismic liquefaction

Failure of or severe damage to pile-supported structures founded in liquefiable soils are still observed after most major earthquakes. Different failure mechanisms of pile foundations, such as bending, buckling, shear and settlement, have been proposed but it appears that some mechanisms are still overlooked in the design. This paper presents an experimental investigation relating to one of the missing mechanisms: it is shown that a pile supported structure during the transition from no-liquefaction to full-liquefaction becomes more flexible, causing higher stresses in the pile section at deeper depths. Practical implications are highlighted.