Soil liquefaction potential in Kahramanmaras, Turkey

This study presents the liquefaction potential in Kahramanmaras city, which is located on the seismically active zones of East Anatolian and Dead Sea Faults in southern central Turkey. Geotechnical investigations in the city were carried out both in situ and laboratory. A total of 238 boreholes in the city were drilled in order to perform Standard Penetration Tests (SPT) and to define the physical properties (sieve analysis, Atterberg limits, soil classification) of the soils obtained from these boreholes. The stratigraphic structure underlying the city consists of various amounts of silt, clay, gravel and sand. Ground water table levels were found to vary from 0-6 m to 15 m or more in the study area. Liquefaction potential was studied based on the SPT results and a hypothetical earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5. The results indicate that the southern areas of the city have a high potential to liquefy, while the northern parts of the city lie mainly within nonliquefaction area. Analyses of liquefaction potential were mapped by using geographical information system (GIS)-based computer software. Evidently, the complied GIS maps could be effectively used by researchers and engineers for further studies on the purpose of land-use planning and urban development.