Abstract: Desaturation method is an innovative method to reduce the liquefaction risk of sandy grounds. The mechanism is to reduce soil saturation by introducing gas into soil pores, thereby increasing liquefaction resistance. This method provides a simple but economical solution to liquefaction of sandy soils. However, the long-term stability of the unsaturated state of the treated sand is a critical issue affecting the anti-liquefaction efficacy and economical efficiency of the desaturation method, and there are few related studies currently. In this study, an originally saturated sandy ground was desaturated by electrolytic desaturation method, and the change in saturation was investigated under different conditions, including hydrostatic and hydraulic gradient flow conditions. Additionally, the effects of hydraulic gradient, particle size distribution, relative density, and initial saturation degree on the saturation change of the specimens were analyzed. The results show that pore-water seepage gradually increases the saturation degree of the specimens until it stabilizes. A larger hydraulic gradient yields a higher final stable saturation degree. Under the same seepage conditions, smaller relative density and finer particle size lead to smaller final changes in saturation. In addition, decreasing the saturation of the specimen after electrolysis reduces the final stable saturation degree.

Key words: desaturation method, sand liquefaction, saturation degree, long-term stability