Investigation of the Liquefaction Potential of Coal Ash Due to Seismic Loading

Abstract Coal ash is a geomaterial with a metastable structure. This type of geomaterial is significantly susceptible to liquefaction as a result of seismic loads. An investigation of ash that is susceptible to liquefaction due to a seismic load can use the CPT penetration test. This method of investigating liquefaction was developed based on numerous penetration tests of sandy or silty–sandy soils and was developed at the Workshop on the Evaluation of Soil Liquefaction Resistance, NCEER, Salk Lake City, Utah, USA, 1996. In the present article, the results of the CPT penetration test conducted at the Rosina ash tailings pond in Žilina in Slovakia, are analyzed using the NCEER methodology. The safety factor for ash liquefaction was expressed based on the penetration resistance values measured in the CPT tests using the ‘LiquefyPro’ software. The safety factor in the liquefaction of the ash sediment was expressed by changing the level of seeping water in the body of the tailings pond, the unit weight of coal ash, and the seismic acceleration.