Abstract
Dynamic liquefaction of saturate loose sand deposit is a common geotechnical failure effect caused by an earthquake, which can lead to structural damage of buildings, lifelines and industrial components in general. Several damage cases have been observed in past events and have been documented in the technical literature and post-earthquake reconnaissance reports. Failure and malfunctioning of pipelines, tanks and wastewater treatment plants, induced by differential vertical settlements, horizontal lateral spread and uplift of underground structures, are described. All these permanent displacements could be directly related to co-seismic liquefaction of the foundation soil. Moreover, this failure mechanism is strongly site dependent and the abovementioned effects frequently occurred in coastal and fluvial plane areas, where industrial plants are often situated. The paper studies and compares the behaviour of some important industrial components during the liquefaction event. Empirical fragilities and threshold values were evaluated on the basis of the significant seismic parameter, accounting for the possible hazardous effects of the release of toxic and flammable fluids. These tools could be assessed by means of a comparison with similar ones proposed by current building codes and implemented in existing software for the risk assessment of industrial plants and lifeline networks.
