RAPID/Collaborative Research: Subsurface Characterization of Liquefaction Case Histories from the 2023 Kahramanmaras Earthquake Sequence

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This Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) award will provide well-documented case histories on building and ground performance during earthquakes. The US has not experienced a large, widely-damaging earthquake for nearly 30 years. However, advancements can be made by understanding earthquake damage in countries with similar seismic risks and infrastructure, such as Turkey. The 2023 Kahramanmaras, Turkey earthquake sequence provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of earthquake shaking on diverse infrastructure in varied geologic environments subjected to a wide range of shaking intensities. The post-earthquake observations enable the study of the effects of near-fault ground motions, liquefaction-induced infrastructure damage, and the cyclic behavior of silt and clay soils. Characterization of the ground at key sites allows to develop insights that are directly applicable to US cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, and Memphis. The work will proceed collaboratively with Turkish researchers to learn as much as possible from these earthquakes. The goal of the project is to benefit society through increased resiliency, sustainability, and affordability of civil infrastructure considering seismic impacts. The award will help train the next generation of US earthquake engineering leaders by supporting the interaction of a senior researcher with three early-career researchers from four institutions across the US, as well as the mentorship of a graduate student. This project focuses on obtaining subsurface data at key sites, which is essential to developing well-documented case histories of building and ground performance during earthquakes. The subsurface information will be collected primarily through seismic piezocone penetration tests to characterize the ground conditions, including shear wave velocity, and to detect critical soil layers. Additionally, exploratory soil borings will be performed to obtain samples for soil index testing. The subsurface data collected in this project will provide critical information to significantly expand the number of comprehensive case histories of liquefaction-infrastructure interactions, focusing on (1) infrastructure affected by ground shaking and ground failure in the near-fault region, (2) liquefaction-induced building damage, and (3) liquefaction of silts and clays. These three topics represent areas of earthquake engineering with knowledge gaps due to a dearth of case histories. Additionally, the subsurface data will provide insights regarding climate change and earthquake multi-hazards by contributing to evaluations of the frequent coastal flooding of Iskenderun, presumably due to liquefaction-induced ground movements.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.