Application of finite difference method in determination of static shear stress influence on soil liquefaction

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of static shear stress on the liquefaction potential of soil, and to propose a closed-form solution that takes this effect into account. Two-dimensional finite-difference-based numerical analyses, involving the use of various generic soil and earthquake combinations, were performed. The analyses include slopes with nonzero static shear stresses. It is concluded that the effect of the initial static shear stress on liquefaction resistance is highly dependent on the soil stiffness and on the initial on-site shear stress level, whereas nearly no effect is exerted by earthquake magnitude.