Civil Engineering Journal
Vol. 12 No. 8 (2026): August

Assessment of Seismic-Induced Liquefaction Susceptibility Using Unconsolidated Undrained Triaxial Testing

Harryanshah Hamansa (Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Sabah)
Habib Musa Mohamad (Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Sabah)
Nur Fazielah Nasir (Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Sabah)
Heryanti Awang Omar (Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Sabah)
Sajiharjo Marto Suro (Sekolah Tinggi Teknik (STT)-Institut Teknologi PLN, Jakarta 11750)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 Aug 2026

Abstract

Seismic-induced soil liquefaction poses significant risks to infrastructure in regions characterized by loose, saturated coastal deposits and moderate seismic activity. This study aims to evaluate the liquefaction susceptibility of tropical soils using laboratory-based shear strength characterization as a preliminary assessment framework. Soil samples were collected from two coastal locations and subjected to comprehensive index property testing, including grain size distribution, Atterberg limits, moisture content, specific gravity, and pH analysis. Static strength behavior was evaluated using Unconsolidated Undrained (UU) triaxial compression tests under confining pressures of 25, 50, 100, and 200 kPa. Results reveal distinct mechanical responses between the two soil origins. Soils with lower plasticity indices (PI = 12–19) exhibited moderate susceptibility characterized by limited strain-softening behavior at low confinement, while higher-plasticity soils (PI = 23–25) demonstrated confinement-dependent responses with pronounced post-peak softening under low effective stress conditions. Peak undrained shear strength increased significantly with increasing confining pressure, indicating stress-dependent liquefaction resistance. The findings highlight the critical influence of plasticity, confinement level, and soil structure on undrained stability. This research contributes baseline laboratory evidence for tropical coastal soils and establishes a region-specific framework for preliminary liquefaction screening in seismic-prone environments.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

cej

Publisher

Subject

Civil Engineering, Building, Construction & Architecture

Description

Civil Engineering Journal is a multidisciplinary, an open-access, internationally double-blind peer -reviewed journal concerned with all aspects of civil engineering, which include but are not necessarily restricted to: Building Materials and Structures, Coastal and Harbor Engineering, ...