Shaking table test on liquefaction prevention using tire chips and sand mixture

A series of small-scale model shaking table test on a caisson type quay wall was conducted on liquefaction prevention measures using tire chips and sand mixtures. In one series, the caisson had the conventional sandy backfill. In another series, the backfill consists of composite soils made of tire chips mixed sand. The mixing percentage of tire chips was 50% of the total volume of the backfill sand. Sinusoidal motions were imparted to the soil-structure system, and the dynamic increment of the load acting on the caisson, associated displacement of the caisson, and the excess pore water pressure in various locations of the backfill were measured. The test results have demonstrated that, despite the fact that the tire chips reinforced composite backfill has a very low relative density, there was no liquefaction in the backfill, resulting in a good performance of the soil-structure system during earthquake loading.