Most people are familiar with the idea that loose, hydraulic-fill soils like those beneath the Kingdome are highly susceptible to liquefaction during a major quake. But what happens to liquefiable soils during a huge man-made event, such as the implosion of the 110,000-ton dome last year?

The implosion of the Kingdome offered an unparalleled opportunity for comparing demolition- and earthquake-based ground vibrations in our urban core. Since existing methods for predicting liquefaction are based on previous earthquake case histories, no one knew for certain how disturbances caused by the demolition would impact the loose, sandy foundation soils beneath the Kingdome and adjacent structures.

 
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