Anti-liquefaction mechanisms in buildings with shallow foundations with a focus on lowering the ground water table

This study simulates and discusses the behavior of low-rise buildings on liquefiable ground with different ground water table levels during earthquakes via centrifuge modeling. The test results reveal that lowering the water table can effectively limit the settlement of structures on liquefiable ground. However, this also reduces the seismic isolation effect of soil liquefaction. As the water table is lowered, the acceleration amplification in structures increases slightly. In addition to this, the effect of reinforcing the first floor slab was studied and the results show that such reinforcement can generate a significant anti-liquefaction effect in areas with a high water table. Engineers can use this combination of improvement methods to achieve better designs.