Yossef H Hatzor

We investigate the impact of short-wave impulses on soil liquefaction and fluid pressure dynamics. Using a Biot poroelastic model with an elasto - plastic representation of the sand matrix, numerical simulations are conducted to evaluate soil displacement, pore pressure, and wave velocities. Comparisons between coupled (Biot) and decoupled (Terzaghi) models reveal critical differences in displacement and pore pressure predictions. The originally developed analytical solutions which are presented here for the first time, show quantitatively that soil saturation significantly amplifies liquefaction zones and the magnitude of displacements, with fully saturated soils showing the greatest effects. These observations are supported by results of a field test conducted in silty sands (the Ashkelon site) where high excess pore pressures were obtained, in agreement with the coupled Biot model. The effect of saturation levels on tunnel wall displacements in response to nearby blasting is shown to demonstrate the vulnerability of buried structures to blasting under various groundwater schemes. The findings offer insights into geotechnical applications involving dynamic loading, particularly in excavation and blast engineering in soils. We therefore suggest that a coupled Biot model must be utilized to correctly model ground and buried structures response to blasting.