Liquefaction damage potential for seismic hazard evaluation in urbanized areas

The liquefaction susceptibility of granular soils under seismic actions is commonly estimated by means of the liquefaction safety factor and recently by the potential index also. Since its original formulation the potential index has been developed and modified according to both deterministic and probabilistic approaches in order to draw liquefaction microzonation maps. In this study a new approach to potential index definition is proposed in order to relate the liquefaction potential prediction to the loss of bearing capacity for shallow foundation. Such new method has been used to estimate the so called liquefaction damage potential PDL at Barletta site, located in Puglia Region, where strong seismic events may occur.