| Summary: | In current engineering practice, the liquefaction susceptibility of soil is assessed by in-situ
testing or by laboratory testing. The in-situ testing approach is based on field performance
correlation approach and it is good for sandy soils, but becomes difficult to apply in soils
such as gravels, silts and clays. In laboratory conditions, the cyclic loading tests could
indicate inaccurate results unless those have been performed on absolutely undisturbed
samples. The research in this thesis is a part of larger investigation, which is intended to
explore the potential for evaluating liquefaction susceptibility in-situ by blasting. The main
advantage of such a methodology is that the liquefaction resistance of the ground is
evaluated under its existing stresses and ground water conditions. The major part of this
research is a critical assessment of a field trial blast test, which was carried out during the
Canadian Liquefaction Experiment (CANLEX) in Alberta. This includes the evaluation of
measuring instruments used in the test, sampling rate and evaluation of measured data. In
addition, this research investigates the induced wave patterns due to an explosion and the
near field blast effects and the far field blast effects. Also, the research evaluates the
possibilities of simulating earthquake like ground motions using explosives. The thesis
establishes empirical relationships for liquefaction evaluation in loose saturated sandy soils.
The state of art to establish these relationships is discussed. A comparison of these
relationships with those proposed by other authors is also presented. In addition, the thesis
discusses observed inadequacies of the CANLEX blast test to help in planning and
conducting blast tests in the future. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Civil Engineering, Department of === Graduate
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