Development and Application of a Simplified Multi-Criteria Framework for Soil Liquefaction Assessment: A Case Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Chemical, Industrial & Civil Engineering, University of Science and Technology of Mazandaran, Behshahr, Iran

2 Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, Iran

Abstract

The liquefaction phenomenon has been one of the most important causes of damage to structures and vital lifelines during past earthquakes. The accurate assessment of liquefaction has always faced multiple challenges. Common methods based on field data such as Standard Penetration Test (SPT), Cone Penetration Test (CPT), and Shear wave velocity (Vs) often provide different results, and relying on only one method can lead to errors in identifying liquefied layers, post-liquefaction settlement values, and the likelihood of surface manifestation. In this study, the evaluation of the safety factor was examined by four common methods. Moreover, three methods were employed to estimate the post-liquefaction settlement, and two methods were used to assess surface manifestation. The results indicate significant differences among the methods in determining the safety factor, the surface manifestation, and the settlement amount. Since none of the methods alone can fully capture the complexity of soil behavior, a four-step framework including multi-criteria assessment of liquefaction potential, settlement, and surface manifestation was introduced, and then the integration of results was presented. This approach, by reducing uncertainty and simultaneously considering three main components of liquefaction (occurrence potential, settlement, and surface manifestation), provides a potentially useful and more comprehensive engineering-oriented framework for assessing liquefaction-related hazards and can serve as a suitable basis for engineering studies and structural design in liquefaction-prone areas.

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References

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History

  • Receive Date: 21 August 2026
  • Revise Date: 29 August 2026
  • Accept Date: 15 September 2026
  • First Publish Date: 05 October 2026

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