Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/11681/6154
Title: Re-evaluation of the lower San Fernando Dam. Report 2, Examination of the post-earthquake slide of February 9, 1971
Authors: H. Bolton Seed, Inc.
Seed, H. Bolton (Harry Bolton)
Seed, Raymond Bolton
Harder, Leslie F.
Jong, Hsing-Jong
Keywords: Case study
Cyclic loading
Earth dams
Hydraulic fill
Hydraulic structures
Laboratory testing
Soil liquefaction
Residual strength
Seismic stability
Soil dynamics
Soil mechanics
Standard Penetration Test
San Fernando Dam
California
Earthquakes
Earthquake effects
Publisher: Geotechnical Laboratory (U.S.)
Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)
Series/Report no.: Contract report (U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station) ; GL-89-2 rept.2.
Description: Contract Report
Partial Abstract: This report presents the results of an investigation performed to re-evaluate the slide in the upstream portion of the Lower San Fernando Dam which was triggered by the San Fernando Earthquake of February 9, 1971. Data from seismoscopes located on the crest and one abutment indicated that the main slide movements occurred about 20 to 30 sec after the strong earthquake shaking had stopped . It can thus be inferred that the earthquake shaking triggered a loss of strength in the soils comprising the embankment, and that it was this loss of strength in the soils comprising the embankment, and that it was this loss of strength, rather than the inertial forces induced by the earthquake shaking, which led to the sliding of the upstream slope. The studies reported herein were performed for the following purposes : (A.) to determine whether recently developed techniques for evaluating in-situ undrained steady state strength based on laboratory testing and post-test corrections would accurately predict the observed residual strength of the San Fernando Dam hydraulic fill materials, (B.) to determine whether the use of improved sampling procedures would lead to different results for undrained cyclic load tests on "undisturbed" samples taken from the dam (relative to those obtained in earlier investigations performed in 1971-73), (C.) to explore the reproducibility of laboratory steady state strength test data used for seismic stability evaluations as measured in different laboratories, and (D.) to evaluate the feasibility of basing both pore pressure generation ("triggering") and undrained residual strength (post-triggering stability) assessments on SPT data using new standardized SPT procedures. NOTE: This file is large. Allow your browser several minutes to download the file.
Rights: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11681/6154
Appears in Collections:Contract Report

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