Earthquake Liquefaction Example - Alaskam Way Viaduct

The Alaskan Way Viaduct in downtown Seattle, is an excellent example of what could occur in a major earthquake exciting liquefaction in the sediments around the

viaduct and seawall. GeoSierra' earthquake defense system using electro-osmosis is a viable retofit system to stabilize liquefaction, and thus enhanced the viaduct

and seawall stability, whilst the SR99 tunnel is being built. See the video of a simulation of the viaduct and seawall during a major earthquake -

 

To conventionally stabilize against foundation liquefaction and seawall slope instability during an earthquake event would be an enormous cost. GeoSierra's

elecro-osmosis earthquake defense system would prevent soil liquefaction and thus mitigate the impact of the earthquake on the viaduct and sea wall.

 

Mud Slide Stability

GeoSierra's electro-osmosis system can stabilize a mud slide once accelerometers detect the P wave arrival or slide movement, the electrodes are energized

automatically and thus stabilize the slope - see the video describing Casagrande's work on the immediate stabilization of unstable soil slopes 

 

Great Alaskan Earthquake 1964 M9.2

Megathrust earthquakes are now reasonably well understood, primarily from the invesitagative work following the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964. Other examples

of megathrust earthquakes are the Cascadia and Tokai earthquakes, and in Chile, e.g. the 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake. The Tokai earthquake typically occurs

every 100-150 years, with the last earthquake being in 1854. The Cascadia megathrust earthquake typically has a much longer return period of ~500 years but is of

a greater magnitude than the Tokai earthquakes, which are typically around ~8.4. An excellent video describing the Great Alaskan Earthquake can be viewed at