Seismic analysis and design of rigid bridge abutments considering rotation and sliding incorporating non-linear soil behavior

A two-dimensional (2D) finite element analytical model is developed to analyze the seismic response of rigid highway bridge abutments, retaining and founded on dry sand. A well verified finite element code named FLEX is used for this purpose. The proposed model has the following characteristics: (1) The soil (dry sand in this study) is modeled by a 2D finite element grid; (2) The bridge abutment is molded as a rigid substructure; (3) The strength and deformation of the soil are modeled using the viscous cap constitutive model. This model consists of a failure surface and hardening cap together with an associated flow rule. The cap surface is activated for the soil under the wall to represent compaction during wall rocking. In addition, viscoelastic behavior is provided for representing the hysteretic-like damping of soil during dynamic loading; (4) Interface elements are used between the wall and the soil (at the backface of the wall and under its base) to allow for sliding and for debonding/recontact behavior; (5) The finite element grid is truncated by using an absorbing boundary approximation. Using this boundary at both sides of the grid simulates the horizontal radiation of energy scattered from the wall and the excavation. Shear beams are placed adjacent to the lateral boundaries from each side which give the far-field ground motion, for comparison with those computed adjacent to the boundaries. The analytical model is verified comparing predictions to results from dynamic centrifuge tests, with satisfactory agreement. The proposed model is used to study the dynamic response of an 8.0 m high and 3.0 m wide rigid bridge abutment (proportioned using the traditional approach to design) for different sinusoidal and earthquake acceleration input motions. The results from the analysis show that outward tilting of rigid bridge abutments is the dominant mode of response during dynamic shaking and that these abutments end up with a permanent outward tilt at the end of shaking. The results from all the analyzed cases of the 8.0 m high gravity retaining wall together with those from the analysis of the tilting wall centrifuge tests are discussed and used for proposing a practical method for evaluating the seismic response of rigid abutments during earthquakes.     

第四纪地层中断层同震错动行为的离心机试验研究

运用试验地球物理学的原理和方法来研究认识当地震发生时在第四纪地层中断层同震错动行为的有关特征,为减轻地震灾害相关问题进行基础研究.原创了在试验模型中预制断层的方法来模拟第四纪地层中存在的断层,用离心机模拟试验研究第四纪地层中不同活动年代、不同上断点深度断层的同震错动行为,特别是地表破坏(地表形变和破裂)特征,取得了新的...     

砂土自由场地震响应的离心机试验研究

离心机模型试验是研究岩土地震工程问题的有效手段。本文使用层状剪切箱,通过干落法制备了均匀的砂土模型,进行了离心机振动试验;观测了振动过程中孔隙水压力的发展,土体的加速度响应、侧向变形以及竖向沉降。结果表明,土体的运动和变形与孔隙水压力的发展密切相关,但离心机中的试验现象和现场观测的现象存在显著区别。研究结果增强了对振动过程中土-水之间相互作用机理的理解,同时为自由场地震响应分析方法的验证提供了基础数据。     

Seismic simulation of liquefaction-induced uplift behavior of a hollow cylinder structure buried in shallow ground

When designing buried structures using a performance-based framework, it is important to estimate their uplift displacement. A simplified method is proposed for predicting the uplift displacement of a hollow cylinder structure buried in shallow backfill based on the equilibrium of vertical forces acting on the structure during earthquakes. However, this method only provides the maximum value, which frequently is overestimated in practical applications. To offset this limitation, first, the uplift behavior of buried hollow cylinder structures subjected to strong earthquake motions was simulated. Then, two-dimensional effective stress analyses based on the multiple shear mechanism for soil were conducted, and the results were compared with the centrifuge test data. The soil parameters were evaluated based on laboratory test results. The seismic response data from 20 g centrifuge tests were analyzed, and the results were generally consistent with the results of centrifuge model tests. In particular, the effective stress model showed a reasonable ability to reproduce the varying degrees of uplift displacement depending on the geotechnical conditions of trench soils adjacent to the hollow cylinder structures buried in shallow ground.     

Experimental p-y curves for liquefied soils from centrifuge tests

The present study aims to obtain p-y curves(Winkler spring properties for lateral pile-soil interaction) for liquefied soil from 12 comprehensive centrifuge test cases where pile groups were embedded in liquefiable soil. The p-y curve for fully liquefied soil is back-calculated from the dynamic centrifuge test data using a numerical procedure from the recorded soil response and strain records from the instrumented pile. The p-y curves were obtained for two ground conditions:(a) lateral spreading of liquefied soil, and(b) liquefied soil in level ground. These ground conditions are simulated in the model by having collapsing and non-collapsing intermittent boundaries, which are modelled as quay walls. The p-y curves back-calculated from the centrifuge tests are compared with representative reduced API p-y curves for liquefied soils(known as p-multiplier). The response of p-y curves at full liquefaction is presented and critical observations of lateral pile-soil interaction are discussed. Based on the results of these model tests, guidance for the construction of p-y curves for use in engineering practice is also provided.     

液化场地桥梁足尺桩抗震简化分析方法

采用国际VELACS项目中离心机试验标定的内华达砂的动力计算参数,建立液化场地足尺桩-土动力相互作用分析的三维有限元模型;获得不同幅值的正弦波作用下桩-土动力相互作用的p-y曲线,修正并发展一种可用于液化场地桩-土动力相互作用分析的宏单元模型,并基于非线性文克尔地基梁模型建立桥梁足尺桩抗震分析的数值模型与简化方法,通过有限元分析结果验证该简化方法的正确性。     

Analytical solutions for transport of decaying solutes in rivers with transient storage

Analytical solutions are presented for solute transport in rivers including the effects of transient storage and first order decay. The solute transport model considers an advection–dispersion equation for transport in the main channel linked to a first order mass exchange between the main channel and the transient storage zones. In case of a conservative tracer, it is shown that different analytical solutions presented in the literature are mathematically identical. For non-conservative solutes, first order decay reactions are considered with different reaction rate coefficients in the main river channel and in the dead zones. New analytical solutions are presented for different boundary conditions, i.e. instantaneous injection in an infinite river reach, and variable concentration time series input in a semi-infinite river reach. The correctness and accuracy of the analytical solutions is verified by comparison with the OTIS numerical model. The results of analytical and numerical approaches compare favourably and small differences can be attributed to the influence of boundary conditions. It is concluded that the presented analytical solutions for solute transport in rivers with transient storage and solute decay are accurate and correct, and can be usefully applied for analyses of tracer experiments and transport characteristics in rivers with mass exchange in dead zones.     

R/C frame–infill interaction model and its application to Indonesian buildings

This paper proposes a new analytical model for masonry‐infilled R/C frames to evaluate the seismic performance considering R/C frame–infill interactions. The proposed analytical model replaces masonry infill with a diagonal compression strut, which represents distributed compression transferred between frame and infill interfaces. The equivalent strut width is presented as a function of the frame–infill contact length, which can be evaluated by static equilibriums related to compression balance and lateral displacement compatibility at the frame–infill interfaces. The proposed analytical model was verified through comparisons with experimental results obtained for several brick masonry‐infilled R/C frames representing a typical R/C building with nonstructural masonry infill in Indonesia. As a result, good agreements were observed between the experimental and analytical values of the lateral strength and ductility of the infilled frames. The seismic performances of two earthquake‐damaged R/C buildings with different damage conditions were evaluated considering infill effects by applying the proposed analytical model. Consequently, the nonstructural brick masonry infill significantly affected the seismic resistances of the buildings, which seemed to lead to differing levels of damage for each building. These results indicate that the proposed analytical model can be an effective tool for more precisely screening earthquake‐vulnerable existing R/C buildings in Indonesia. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Parametric analysis of single pile response in laterally spreading ground

Extensive damage to pile-supported structures has been witnessed in several recent earthquakes (Chi-Chi, 1999; Kobe, 1995, etc.), as a result of liquefaction-induced lateral spreading of slightly sloping ground or free-face topographic irregularities. This paper presents a parametric analysis of the basic pile and soil parameters, as well as the pile-soil interaction mechanisms affecting the response of single piles subjected to such lateral spreading, based on numerical simulation with the nonlinear P-y method. In parallel, a set of design charts and analytical relations is established, for approximate computation of maximum pile deflections and bending moments, using a “theory guided” multi-variable statistical analysis of the numerical predictions. Three different combinations (design cases) of pile head constraints and soil conditions were considered, which are commonly encountered in practice. The overall accuracy of the proposed analytical relations is evaluated against experimental results from seven centrifuge and five large shaking table experiments.     

基于自适应有限元的复电阻率法2.5维复杂构造电磁场模拟

复电阻率法在矿产、油气勘探调查中发挥着重要作用.为了认识复杂构造的复电阻率法电磁场的变化规律,本文基于自适应有限元方法,采用非结构化网格,引入Cole-Cole模型,实现了电偶源2.5D复电阻率法电磁场正演,可以模拟复杂地形和地电结构,正演结果更符合野外实际地质情况.通过将本文的计算结果与半空间模型解析解、层状介质和起伏模型结果进行对比,验证了本文算法的正确性.最后,基于复杂地电模型,通过正演模拟,系统分析了地形、激电参数、复杂构造对复电阻率法电磁场的影响特征.     

A new analytical solution for assessing climate change impacts on subsurface temperature

Groundwater temperature is an important water quality parameter that affects species distributions in subsurface and surface environments. To investigate the response of subsurface temperature to atmospheric climate change, an analytical solution is derived for a one‐dimensional, transient conduction–advection equation and verified with numerical methods using the finite element code SUTRA. The solution can be directly applied to forward model the impact of future climate change on subsurface temperature profiles or inversely applied to produce a surface temperature history from measured borehole profiles. The initial conditions are represented using superimposed linear and exponential functions, and the boundary condition is expressed as an exponential function. This solution expands on a classic solution in which the initial and boundary conditions were restricted to linear functions. The exponential functions allow more flexibility in matching climate model projections (boundary conditions) and measured temperature–depth profiles (initial conditions). For example, measured borehole temperature data from the Sendai Plain and Tokyo, Japan, were used to demonstrate the improved accuracy of the exponential function for replicating temperature–depth profiles. Also, the improved accuracy of the exponential boundary condition was demonstrated using air temperature anomaly data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. These air temperature anomalies were then used to forward model the effect of surficial thermal perturbations in subsurface environments with significant groundwater flow. The simulation results indicate that recharge can accelerate shallow subsurface warming, whereas upward groundwater discharge can enhance deeper subsurface warming. Additionally, the simulation results demonstrate that future groundwater temperatures obtained from the proposed analytical solution can deviate significantly from those produced with the classic solution. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulation of soil–foundation–structure interaction of Hualien large-scale seismic test using dynamic centrifuge test

Understanding the soil–structure interaction (SSI) mechanism is crucial in the seismic design of nuclear power plant (NPP) containment systems. Although the numerical analysis method is generally used in seismic design, there is a need for experimental verification for the reliable estimation of SSI behavior. In this study a dynamic centrifuge test was performed to simulate the SSI behavior of a Hualien large-scale seismic test (LSST) during the Chi-Chi earthquake. To simulate the soil profile and dynamic soil properties of the Hualien site, a series of resonant column (RC) tests was performed to determine the model soil preparation conditions, such as the compaction density and the ratio of soil–gravel contents. The variations in the shear wave velocity (V_S) profiles of the sand, gravel, and backfill layers in the model were estimated using the RC test results. During the centrifuge test, the V_S profiles of the model were evaluated using in-flight bender element tests and compared with the in-situ V_S profile at Hualien. The containment building model was modeled using aluminum and the proper scaling laws. A series of dynamic centrifuge tests was performed with a 1/50 scale model using the base motion recorded during the Chi-Chi-earthquake. In the soil layer and foundation level, the centrifuge test results were similar to the LSST data in both the time and frequency domains, but there were differences in the structure owing to the complex structural response as well as the material damping difference between the concrete in the prototype and aluminum in the model. In addition, as the input base motion amplitude was increased to a maximum value of 0.4g (prototype scale), the responses of the soil and containment model were measured. This study shows the potential of utilizing dynamic centrifuge tests as an experimental modeling tool for site specific SSI analyses of soil–foundation–NPP containment system.     

Analysis of shaking table-structure interaction effects during seismic simulation tests

An analytical model is developed to evaluate performance characteristics of unidirectional seismic simulators (shaking tables). The validity of the model is verified with experimental measurements of the frequency response of the shaking table at the Catholic University of Peru. Interaction effects between shaking table and structure are first studied by analysing the response of a two DOF (degree of freedom) oscillator with mechanical properties representative of the actuator-table-structure system. A single DOF viscoelastic oscillator representing the structural test specimen is then included in the analytical model of the seismic simulator, and the behaviour of the combined system is evaluated, in the frequency domain, in terms of response stability and accuracy of reproduction of the command signal. Numerical simulations of system response under different load conditions are subsequently performed in order to study the influence of shaking table and test structure characteristics on the interaction phenomenon. The results obtained explain some of the performance degradation observed in seismic simulation tests involving very heavy structures and provide guidelines for the design of more reliable shaking table systems.     

Stormwater capture and antecedent moisture characteristics of permeable pavements

An approach based on individual rainfall events is introduced to mathematically describe the hydrologic responses and estimate the stormwater capture efficiencies of permeable pavement systems (PPSs). A stochastic model describing the instantaneous dynamic water balance of a PPS is established, from which the probability distribution of the antecedent moisture content of the PPS at the beginning of a rainfall event is analytically derived. Based on this probability distribution and the event‐based approach, an analytical equation that can be used for estimating the stormwater capture efficiencies of PPSs is also derived. The derived analytical equation is verified by comparing its results with those from continuous simulations for a wide range of PPSs with different sizes and underlying soils and operating under various climate conditions. It was found that the antecedent moisture contents of PPSs at the test locations are usually fairly close to zero, suggesting that PPSs at these locations are always almost empty at the start of a rainfall event. The derived analytical equation accounts for many key processes influencing the behaviour and operation of PPSs; it may serve as an easy‐to‐use tool that is essential for the planning and design of PPSs.     

Dynamic analysis of flexible cantilever wall retaining elastic soil by a modified Vlasov–Leontiev model

Dynamic response of a flexible cantilever wall retaining elastic soil to harmonic transverse seismic excitations is determined with the aid of a modified Vlasov–Leontiev foundation model and on the assumption of vanishing vertical displacement of the soil medium. The soil–wall interaction is taken into consideration in the presented model. The governing equations and boundary conditions of the two unknown coupled functions in the model are derived in terms of Hamilton׳s principle. Solutions of the two unknown functions are obtained on the basis of an iterative algorithm. The present method is verified by comparing its results with those of the existing analytical solution. Moreover, a mechanical model is proposed to evaluate the presented method physically. A parametric study is performed to investigate the effects of the soil–wall system properties and the excitations on the dynamic response of the wall.     

Dynamic centrifuge testing of a cantilever retaining wall

Two correctly-scaled model cantilever retaining walls of different stiffnesses were tested under dynamic loading conditions in a centrifuge. A medium-dense fine sand was retained with a range of backfill slopes. For the centrifuge model, an earthquake-generating mechanism was designed to produce seismic shaking equivalent to that generated at ground surface in the epicentral area of an earthquake of approximate magnitude 5–5. The response of the model retaining walls to the input dynamic motion was measured by strain gauges, pressure transducers and accelerometers. From the measurements plots were constructed of moment, shear, pressure and displacement over the height of the walls as a function of time. The results are compared with calculations based on the quasi-static Mononobe-Okabe theory. Although the calculated resultant force is in reasonable agreement with the experiments, the moments can be substantially different. Residual values of all parameters at the end of shaking are considerably greater than the initial static values. It is recommended that dynamic behaviour be incorporated in the earthquake design of retaining walls.     

Underground pipeline response to earthquake-induced ground deformation

The principal causes of earthquake-induced ground deformation are identified and their interaction with underground infrastructure, primarily pipelines and conduits, is described. The coupled forces normal and parallel to underground pipelines arising from earthquake-induced ground movement are evaluated, including a review of measured stresses on pipe surfaces during large-scale testing, evaluation of frictional forces related to soil-pipe interaction, and the resolution of interaction forces along and across pipelines. Methods for characterizing soil reaction to pipe lateral and vertical movements are presented. The maximum downward pipe force is only about one-third the maximum force determined with conventional bearing capacity equations, thus requiring changes in current analytical and design practice. The analytical results for pipeline response to strike-slip and normal fault rupture are shown to compare favorably with the results of both large-scale and centrifuge tests of soil-pipeline interaction simulating these types of severe ground deformation.     

A semi-analytical approach to a nonlinear stress–strain analysis of buried steel pipelines crossing active faults

In the present paper a semi-analytical methodology for a nonlinear stress–strain analysis of buried steel pipelines at active fault crossings is presented and verified. The developed model introduces a number of critical refinements to the existing methodologies which extend the application area of analytical models in pipeline design. In particular, a strike-slip and normal-slip fault crossings can be analyzed taking into account material and large displacement nonlinearities, nonlinear pipe–soil interaction. The proposed model is verified against the results by other authors and numerical results, obtained with the finite element method.     

Seismic settlements of shallow foundations on liquefiable soil with a clay crust

A simplified analytical methodology is presented for the computation of the seismic settlements of strip and rectangle footings resting on liquefiable soil with a clay crust. It is based on results of fully-coupled dynamic numerical analyses, performed with a critical-state constitutive model, and captures the physical mechanism of settlement accumulation, which is associated to a “sliding-block” type of punching failure through the clay crust and within the liquefied sand layer. More specifically, liquefaction-induced settlements are correlated to the seismic excitation characteristics and the post-shaking degraded static factor of safety, while the effect of shear-induced dilation of the liquefied subsoil is also taken into account. Analytical predictions are evaluated against experimental observations from centrifuge and large-scale experiments, as well as, against in-situ observations from the City of Adapazari, during the 1999 Kocaeli Earthquake. Finally, easy to use, performance-based design (PBD) charts are developed for quick application of the proposed methodology in practice.     

A generalised one-dimensional kinematic catchment model

A numerical model has been developed for the solution of the kinematic wave equation for a one-dimensional catchment, using the Lax-Wendroff technique. The model has been verified by comparing its solutions with some analytical solutions already available. Certain catchment parameters have been identified and the model applied with promising results to two actual catchments to ascertain their values.