The Canadian Liquefaction Experiment: an overview

The Canadian geotechnical engineering community has completed a major collaborative 5 year research project entitled the Canadian Liquefaction Experiment (CANLEX). The main objective of the project was to study the phenomenon of soil liquefaction, which can occur in saturated sandy soils and is characterized by a large loss of strength or stiffness resulting in substantial deformations. In many areas of Canada, large structures are constructed on or comprise sandy soils, e.g., some major hydroelectricity earth dams and many tailings impoundments in the mining industry. The behaviour of loose sandy soils can be difficult to predict, but can have a significant financial impact on these types of engineering structures. Consequently, the intent of the CANLEX project was to improve the overall understanding of soil liquefaction. This paper provides an overview of the CANLEX project, outlining the project objectives, major achievements, and conclusions. Four companion papers describe different aspects of the pr...