The method adopted for the evaluation of the soil liquefaction potential in the Messina Straits, Italy, is presented and the results are discussed. The study was carried out for the design of three submerged floating tunnels linking Sicily to the Italian mainland. The method is based on a combined approach where field measurements are used to partly re-create the original soil fabric in the specimens for cyclic laboratory tests. The method is suitable for offshore investigations where recovery of truly undisturbed samples is hardly possible. The results show that in this way a much higher resistance to liquefaction is predicted than from conventional laboratory tests. The results of indirect methods based only on CPT records or shear wave velocity measurements in the field are presented first, and their limitations that led to the selection of an improved laboratory testing program are outlined
