Innovation in earthquake and natural hazards research: Determining soil liquefaction potential

This case study analyzes how an innovation in earthquake and natural hazards research was used for practical and policy purposes, why utilization occurred, and what potential policy implications can be drawn. The innovation was the dynamic analysis method, used to identify those soils that are likely to liquefy during earthquakes. The research was designed and undertaken by H. Bolton Seed at the University of California at Berkeley during the 1960s. The research was a major breakthrough in engineering research: liquefaction had never before been reproduced in a laboratory. The work yielded quantitative information about the conditions under which liquefaction occurs. These data were then used to develop procedures for predicting liquefaction; eventually the need to test soil samples in the laboratory was eliminated.