Comparison of SPT-N-based analysis methods in evaluation of liquefaction potential during the 1999 Chi-chi earthquake in Taiwan

SPT-N-based methods have been adopted for liquefaction assessment of soils during earthquakes for decades. However, there has not been a consistent way of assessing the accuracy and applicability of these methods. The Chi-chi earthquake of 1999, which has been the most serious ground shaking in Taiwan within the century, caused extensive liquefactions in mid-west alluvial deposits of the island. This paper assesses the prediction accuracy of several SPT-N-based methods using liquefaction and non-liquefaction incidents observed during the earthquake. A sensitivity study on commonly adopted parameters shows that the SPT blow count and peak ground acceleration are most sensitive in computing liquefaction potential. By comparing the error in predicting liquefaction and non-liquefaction incidents, this study concludes that Tokimatsu and Yoshimi’s method is more accurate than the other methods. However, the differences between prediction errors of various methods are minimal, indicating all of the methods examined are applicable for the 1999 earthquake in Taiwan.