In this study, soils from two locations namely Rudrapur and Khatima from Uttarakhand, India adjacent to Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT) have been considered for response analysis. The in-situ and dynamic soil properties determined from undisturbed and disturbed soil samples are taken for earthquake response analysis. Three moderate magnitude earthquakes of Himalayan origin have been used to study the variation of PGA, PGD, and excess pore water pressure of the thick alluvial soil deposits. Present study suggests that an earthquake of magnitude of Mw 4.7 to 6.5 will liquefy soils from Uttarakhand Plain in Himalayan region at a shallow depth.

Experimental investigations on soil samples collected from the sites of Baraut, Noida and Mandi in North India have been performed to study the static and cyclic behavior of soil. Liquefaction potential of the sites near Himalayan range is also carried out. The SPT and downhole seismic tests have been performed for the estimation of static and dynamic properties of soil. Strain-controlled cyclic triaxial tests are also carried out on soil samples collected from the borehole at various depths up to 30 m for the evaluation of dynamic soil properties. The study examined the effects of parameters such as cyclic shear strain, loading frequency and overburden pressure on the cyclic behavior of the soil. One- and two-dimensional dynamic response analysis has been performed on three sites. The initiation of initial liquefaction ranged from 202 to 752 cycles for the Baraut site, 212 to 722 cycles for the Noida site, and 121 to 617 cycles for the Mandi sites. The final design response spectra of the sites are obtained from 1D ground response analysis. The results from the response analysis have been compared with the reported results. The soils from the present study areas are prone to liquefaction at 10 m to 15 m from the ground surface.