Using an energy-based approach and a wide range of marine silt content (SC), along with simulating different field conditions, a systematic experimental study was conducted through a series of strain-controlled cyclic triaxial tests on the undrained cyclic response of saturated Konarak carbonate sand-silt mixtures that originated from the northern coasts of the Oman Sea. The results revealed that the trend of variation in capacity energy (cumulative dissipated energy required to initiate liquefaction, Wliq) of sand-silt mixtures versus variation in SC was highly dependent on the relative density (Dr). Using the concepts of equivalent intergranular void ratio (e*) and equivalent interfine void ratio (ef*), a new relationship was proposed to estimate the Wliq of the Konarak sand-silt mixtures under different field conditions. To take into account the effects of SC, the energy-based pore water pressure model model proposed by Jafarian et al. (2012) was revised with modified calibration parameters. Similarly, as there exists a distinct relationship between energy dissipation and the excess pore water pressure generation during cyclic loading, a significant correlation is also observed between energy dissipation and stiffness degradation for carbonate soil.

A series of strain-controlled cyclic triaxial tests were performed on Firoozkuh sand-silt mixtures with wide ranges of fines content (FC), relative density (Dr), and effective confining stress ( sigma c ') to investigate their liquefaction resistance in terms of capacity energy (Wliq). Also, several cyclic test results from previous studies were collected and reanalyzed. The results showed that Dr could be used as a proper parameter to define soil density state for predicting Wliq of clean sands and sand-silt mixtures when FC is greater than dispersing fines content (FCdis). However, due to the complicated role of FC in coarse-fine assemblies, no universal relationship between Wliq and FC has been reported for the soil mixtures when FC is less than the threshold fines content (FCth). Therefore, the concept of equivalent granular void ratio ( e & lowast;) was used to capture the coarse-fine interactions in such mixtures. It was also found that the fines contribution factor (b), which is the fraction of fines participating in load transfer, is dependent on Dr, as well as particle size disparity ratio (chi) and FC, neglected in previous studies. Finally, a new model was proposed for the prediction of the b value and also a unique relationship between e & lowast; and Wliq was obtained for all mixtures of specified sand and silt where FC <= FCth.