An Educational Approach to Soil Dynamics: Small-Scale Centrifuge Modelling of Resonance, Pore Pressure, and Wave Propagation
An Educational Approach to Soil Dynamics: Small-Scale Centrifuge Modelling of Resonance, Pore Pressure, and Wave Propagation
Soil liquefaction has been extensively studied worldwide through centrifuge modelling and large-scale experiments. However, micro-scale laminar box devices coupled with geotechnical centrifuges provide an innovative opportunity not only for research but also for education in soil dynamics. This study presents an experimental program conducted at Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), where a uniquely compact centrifuge-shaking system with a very small laminar box was implemented to reproduce pore pressure generation and wave propagation in sandy soils under unidirectional seismic loading. The setup, combining a micro-laminar box, latex membranes, pore pressure sensors, and accelerometers, enabled the direct observation of fundamental soil dynamics phenomena such as resonance, pore pressure build-up, and wave amplification. By scaling pore fluid viscosity with calibrated Brookfield viscometers, together with adjustments in drainage and confinement conditions, the experiments achieved results consistent with theoretical expectations. Measurable pore pressure build-up, clear identification of soil resonance frequency, and the visualization of wave transmission and amplification were obtained within the very small laminar box model, demonstrating the robustness of the methodology despite scale limitations. The primary contribution of this work is its educational approach: the compact centrifuge-shaking system serves as a didactic platform where complex soilfluidstructure interactions can be physically observed at reduced scale.
Bernardo Caicedo; Danae Ramirez
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Special Session 1: Physical modelling – from Practice/Industry to Academia
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-322