Assessment of the liquefaction susceptibility of dispersive soils during strong earthquakes under laboratory and field conditions (case study of the city of Termez)

This paper assesses the liquefaction susceptibility of dispersive soils in the city of Termez, southern Uzbekistan, an area subject to transit seismic effects from several surrounding seismogenic zones with magnitudes up to Mmax = 7.5. Engineering-geological investigations to a depth of 50 m identified three engineering-geological elements, dominated by loess-like loams and water-saturated sands, with groundwater encountered at 4.0–4.8 m depth. Vertical electrical sounding (VES) at seven points across the city characterized the depth, structure, and saturation state of the soil layers and delineated zones of shallow and deep groundwater occurrence. The results show that design methods for above-ground structures are well developed, while methods for calculating foundations and bases under seismic loading remain comparatively underdeveloped, relying mainly on static assumptions. The study highlights insufficient soil strength, additional moistening, and dynamic settlement as key soil-related factors contributing to earthquake damage, underscoring the need for improved liquefaction-susceptibility assessment methods for the region.

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