This research program is part of the initiative to collect perishable data resulting from the 17 October 1989 Northern California (Loma Prieta) earthquake. This is a collaborative project with Professor G. Wayne Clough at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Earth Technology Corporation, Long Beach, California, is assisting in obtaining the field data: in addition Drs. Geoffrey Martin and Edward Kavazanjian of Earth Technology Corporation are providing technical assistance to the project. Drs. Clough, Chameau, and Kavazanjian during the period 1979-1985 investigated the soil response and soil failures expected in the Bay Area as a result of a large earthquake: however the effects observed as a result of the Loma Prieta earthquake appear to be more extensive than was expected, in part because the ground motions were more severe than anticipated from data existing ten years ago. The project is utilizing these previous studies, focusing on the areas that suffered significant ground failures, such as the Marina District. At the same time it is using the improved understanding of ground failure mechanisms that has occurred since the original studies were undertaken. The objectives of this project are: to gather relevant geotechnical data obtained since 1980; to map ground features that are important to identify the extent of liquefaction and ground amplification effects; perform about 30 cone penetration tests at locations where earlier tests had been conducted; organize the above information into a computerized data base; and make preliminary assessments of the correlation between field observations and data obtained before and after the 1989 earthquake.
