This research will be conducted in conjunction with the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center and various state DOTs via a pool-fund study managed by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). The Mountain Plains Consortium (MPC) is also providing funding for certain aspects of this study, under separate contract with the University of Utah. The research topic addresses the need to improve empirical, semi-empirical, analytical and numerical methods to estimate the amount of permanent ground displacement associated with liquefaction-induced lateral spread resulting from several major earthquakes. This scope of work addresses the development of a lateral spread community database as part of the PEER Next Generation Liquefaction Project (http://peer.berkeley.edu/lifelines/projects/ngl/). It does not address predictive model development for lateral spread evaluations, which is future effort planned by PEER, but not included in this work plan. Our efforts in this study will focus on gathering, documenting and archiving information regarding liquefaction-induced lateral spread. The data collected for this project herein will include: soil properties, site characteristics (soil layering, topography, etc.), earthquake strong ground motion, and observations and measurements of soil response (e.g., post liquefaction ground deformations) for important, well-documented historical earthquakes. Included in this data gathering will be an assessment of the inherent characteristics associated with the data (e.g., quality, uneven distribution, scarcity, uncertainty, etc.). In addition, the data will be warehoused in a spatial database, and archival and dissemination tools will be developed for future assessment and model development by interested researchers.

The primary outcome of this research is a vetted and community database of seismic, topographical, geotechnical and horizontal displacement measurements pertaining to case histories of liquefaction-induced lateral spread for further research and model development by other researchers and investigators under the auspices of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center (http://peer.berkeley.edu/). Secondary outcomes will be web host and publishing required to house and disseminate this database and its supporting information. This project has the following research objectives: (1) develop peer-reviewed and consistent methodology for data documentation and archiving of lateral spread case histories, (2) develop quality assurance protocols for assessing and documenting data quality, (3) develop methods and/or protocols to quantify uncertainties associated with the collected data, (4) populate the case history database with well-documented examples of liquefaction-induced lateral spread, (5) review screening criterion used in evaluating lateral spread potential, (6) disseminate the database for general use using web-based software tools.

Phase I Tasks include: (1) Kickoff meeting and procurement of software (2) Development of data quality indicators/metrics, quality assurance and database population protocols (3) Defining methods for quantifying uncertainty of key inputs (4) Development and structuring of database (5) Selection of case histories (preliminary list of earthquakes includes 1906 San Francisco, California; 1964 Alaska; 1964 Niigata, Japan; 1971 San Fernando; 1979 Imperial Valley; 1983 Borah Peak, Idaho; 1983 Nihonkai-Chubu, Japan; 1987 Superstition Hills, California; 1989 Loma Prieta, California; 1990 Luzon Philippines; 1991 Costa Rica; 1994 Northridge, California; 1995 Kobe, Japan; 1999 Kocaeli, Turkey; 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan; 2010 Maule, Chile; 2011 Tohoku, Japan; 2010 Darfield, New Zealand; 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand) (6) Obtaining and screening of case history information (7) Population of case history database (8) Database dissemination (9) Screening criteria for lateral spread potential (10) Phase I Reporting Phase II Tasks are not finalized or funded. The principal investigators for this study will be Drs. Steven Bartlett (U. of Utah), Steven Kramer (U. of Washington and PEER Research Executive Committee Member), Kevin Franke (Brigham Young University) and Daniel Gillins (NOAA and consultant). All PIs have extensive background in evaluating and modeling liquefaction phenomena and their effects. Work is planned to begin in 2016 and continue through 2020. Agencies that would like to participate in this new pooled fund should contact the Lead Agency Contact above so they can add your agency as a partner to the study. The minimum partner commitment is $20,000. The MPC has committed $50,000 for the current study, conditional on the availability of match, USDOT funding, and a successful peer review.