Numerical Simulation as Laboratory Liquefaction Test Comparison for Geological Hazard Countermeasure: A Preliminary Study

¹ Reseacher Center for Geological Disaster, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jl. Sangkuriang No.1, Bandung 40135, Indonesia.
² Civil Engineering Department, State Polytechnic of Jakarta (PNJ), Jakarta 16425, Indonesia.
³ Civil Engineering Department, Brawijaya University, Malang 65145, Indonesia.

^* Corresponding author: arif030@brin.go.id

Abstract

Liquefaction is a secondary hazard due to earthquakes, which is one of the geological hazards. The impairment caused can damage infrastructure on a wide scale and even cause casualties. Several phenomenal liquefaction events have been recorded throughout the world, and one of the most phenomenal is the flow liquefaction incident in Palu, Sulawesi, Indonesia, in 2018. Research on liquefaction is still ongoing today. In this study, numerical simulations will be carried out as a comparison for laboratory liquefaction tests, which aim to understand the flow liquefaction mechanism better. Laboratory modeling is presented carefully in numerical modeling, namely by creating three (3) variations in sand density layers in a box with dimensions of 120 cm x 60 cm x 40 cm. The simulation uses the assumption that the soil is perfectly saturated by placing the groundwater level at an elevation of 0 cm. The acceleration applied to the box is varied in the range of 0.3 – 0.6g. Simulation shows that deformation increases with the bigger magnitude and Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), while the duration is not too sensitive to the results. On the other hand, the area liquefied is affected by the duration, magnitude, and PGA value.