Liquefiable

Liquefiable is an adjective describing a material that can be turned into a liquid or lose its solid-like properties under certain conditions. In geology and civil engineering, the term is commonly applied to soils that may undergo liquefaction when subjected to specific stress regimes, such as intense, cyclic shaking during earthquakes.

Liquefaction occurs when saturated granular soils experience cyclic shear, causing pore water pressure to rise and effective stress to drop. As the soil loses strength, it behaves like a liquid, permitting rapid deformation, lateral spreading, and settlement that can damage foundations and underground utilities.

Susceptibility to liquefaction depends on soil type (typically loose sands and silts), degree of saturation, density, depth to groundwater, and characteristics of the seismic event. Not all saturated soils are liquefiable; the phenomenon requires the right combination of stress, drainage, and timing.

Mitigation and design strategies aim to reduce liquefaction potential or its consequences. These include improving drainage, densification, soil stabilization, installation of drains or vertical drains, and using compatible foundation systems that can accommodate deformations. Liquefaction assessment is a standard component of site investigations and hazard analyses, and the term liquefiable is used in codes and literature to describe materials with this behavior.

Etymology: from liquefy plus -able, meaning capable of being liquefied.