What Can Be Done to Minimize Effects of Liquefaction?
There are three opportunities to reduce liquefaction hazards when designing and constructing new buildings or other structures, such as bridges, tunnels, and roads. First, construction should be avoided on liquefaction-susceptible soils. There are four ways to test whether soil is susceptible to liquefaction: 1. Historical findings, such as sand blows in the NMSZ, indicating soils are susceptible to liquefaction; 2. Geologic findings, such as the con-existence of loosely consolidated sediments of landfill and a high water table in a seismic zone; 3. Soil composition, meaning that big and small grains, for example, can withstand liquefaction better because the little grains fill in the pores between the big grains when shaken thereby maintaining soil strength; and 4. State findings, meaning soils in a state of subjection to a high effective stress will liquefy more readily than soils subjected to low effective stress. The second option to reduce liquefaction hazards is to build liquefac
