Particle Scale Analysis of the Impact of Partial Drainage on Undrained Shear Response Applied to Desaturation

Abstract The devastating consequences of liquefaction-driven failures have made mitigation and prevention an active focus of research. Soil desaturation can mitigate liquefaction by incorporating gas bubbles into saturated soil. This study uses the discrete element method (DEM) to investigate the mechanisms and to explore the fundamental basis of mitigation approaches based upon desaturation. Spherical assemblies are isotropically compressed and then subjected to three types of triaxial shearing: (i) fully drained, (ii) fully undrained, and (iii) partially drained. The observed stress responses indicate that classical liquefaction phenomena can be observed even when the constant volume condition is relaxed. However, a slight reduction in the constant volume restraint is sufficient to maintain a statically determinate soil structure, supporting the case for soil desaturation to mitigate liquefaction.