A Field Study of Momentary Liquefaction Caused by Waves around a Coastal Structure

This paper presents the results of field experiments carried out around a bunker from the Second World War situated on the beach. The structure was surrounded by water at high tide and subject to intense wave forcing. By positioning pressure sensors at different levels inside the soil, simultaneous time series of pore pressure measurements were acquired. They demonstrated that the sediment layer on top of the bed does not remain continuously in static equilibrium. Momentary liquefaction was observed as the occurrence of an upward pressure gradient, which could overcome the effective weight of the sediment layer. Using a Fourier analysis, a comparison was made with the theory put forward by Sakai et al. in 1992 whereby the damping of pore pressure variations inside the soil can be quantified. This indicated the existence of a significant amount of gas inside the soil, which was confirmed in the field by geoendoscopic videos.