强震作用下液化场地群桩动力响应及p-y曲线

为研究液化场地中群桩在强震作用下的动力响应特征及桩侧土抗力-桩土相对位移（p-y）曲线规律,依托海文大桥实体工程,基于振动台模型试验,开展了0.15g～0.35g地震动作用饱和粉细砂土层不同埋置深度下的砂土孔压比、桩身弯矩及p-y曲线动力响应研究。结果表明：地震动强度达到0.25g时,不同埋置深度下的饱和粉细砂土层孔压比均大于0.8,产生液化现象,且随埋置深度增加,孔压比增长时刻明显滞后;不同埋置深度下,桩身弯矩最大值均位于液化土层和非液化土层分界面处;同一埋置深度时,随地震动强度的增大,p-y曲线所包围的面积逐渐增大,其整体斜率逐渐变小,说明桩-土相互作用动力耗能逐渐增大,桩周土体刚度逐渐减小;随埋置深度增加,p-y曲线所包围的面积逐渐减小,其整体斜率逐渐增大,说明桩-土相互作用动力耗能逐渐减小,桩周土体刚度逐渐增大。因此,液化场地桥梁群桩抗震设计时,应综合考虑液化土层与桩基础的相互位置关系,确保桩基础在液化土层与非液化土层分界处的抗弯承载能力。     

M5. 1地震引起的一个不寻常的砂砾层大范围液化——盐溶的液化活化效应及其机理

地震液化阈值是一个非常重要的科学问题,一般认为M5地震不会形成大面积的液化。2009年12月14日,中国新疆哈密市发生了M5. 1中等地震,震源深度仅4 km。地震砂脉网格在平面从几十厘米到2 m以上;砂脉纵断面呈楔形、倾斜（平均75. 10°）,分选较好。通常情况下,它们通过液化和流化分异作用发生在细粒丰富的盐渍砂砾层（SSGL,Salinization Sand—Gravel Layer）和盐粒砂砾层（SGSGL,Salt- Grain—Sand—Gravel Layer）中,尽管没有细粒盖层和源砂,但这些盐渍的砂砾层极易在盐溶后发生活化,颗粒之间的摩擦力骤降,液化上涌而形成砂脉。液化边界距震中可达80 km,甚至可能达到120 km,相当于M7. 0~8. 0级地震的液化最远距离。哈密地区之所以能在M5. 1地震作用下形成远程砂脉,主要由于以下5个优势：① 砂泥的盐溶液中细粒组分容易发生液化流化。浓盐水能够降低颗粒的剪切能力,平均降低25%~75%左右,使地震液化阈值降低到 0. 15~0. 05 g（以0. 2 g为一般阈值）。与此同时,浓盐水由于密度大,盐水可使淡水最小流化速度（Umf）降低12. 51%~21. 58%,有利于流化。 ② 广泛分布的盐渍砂砾层和盐粒砂砾层。 ③ 震源极浅（深度仅4 km）。 ④ 基底极浅（深度0~3 m）。 ⑤ 表层盐屑混合盖+盐渍砂砾层+盐粒砂砾层+极浅基岩基底组成了特殊的三明治结构。通过对液化流化的形成机理研究表明,砂主要来自砂脉底部的砂砾层的流化分选,流化分选会在砂脉底部的砂砾层中形成一个分选晕。     

A study on the effects of seismicity on subsidence in foreland basins: An application to the Venice area

Foreland basins are flat elongated areas occurring along subduction and collision zones worldwide. We show that, in such basins, subsidence can be induced by earthquakes generated along bordering thrust faults due to coseismic displacement, postseismic displacement and liquefaction-induced compaction.As an example, the potential effects of earthquakes on the subsidence of Venice, which is located in the Po Plain foreland basin, are discussed. It is generally assumed that natural subsidence of Venice is continuous and that subsidence rates are rather constant through time. However, catastrophic pulses of subsidence cannot be ruled out as taught by the sudden disappearance of the island of Malamocco at the beginning of the XII century.The results of numerical models specifically run suggest that the risk of subsidence accelerations in Venice due to coseismic displacements is negligible. Modelling results from literature suggest that postseismic subsidence could be of the order of 1 cm. Although the effects of a single event should be improbably detectable, such a subsidence is not a priori negligible considering the number of seismogenic sources located within 100 km from the town.Historical sources are utilized to discuss the feasibility of liquefaction-induced subsidence in Venice. It is shown that the destruction and sinking of ancient Malamocco is roughly coincident with a strong earthquake cycle that was associated to phenomena that can be explained with liquefaction of sandy layers. Although the historical documents do not permit to establish a clear causal link between the earthquake and land subsidence, it is concluded that liquefaction-induced subsidence cannot be ruled out as a potential source for local subsidence acceleration.     

A homogenization approach for evaluating the longitudinal shear stiffness of reinforced soils: column versus cross trench configuration

The macroscopic linear elastic behaviour of inclusion‐reinforced soils, regarded as periodic composite media, is investigated by means of the homogenization theory. Special attention is given here to the determination of their longitudinal shear stiffness properties, which strongly govern the reinforced ground response under lateral loading. Combining the use of analytical, variational and numerical methods, we thoroughly examined three particular engineering‐relevant configurations: single trench, column and cross trench reinforcements. Fairly accurate closed‐form expressions are thus obtained, giving the value of the reinforced soil longitudinal shear stiffness as a function of the individual components shear moduli and reinforcement volume fraction. It is shown in particular that adopting a cross trench reinforcement layout instead of the classical column configuration results in a much higher improvement of the longitudinal shear stiffness. The results are then applied to assessing the reduction of soil liquefaction risk, which can be attributed to the presence of the reinforcing inclusions. Again, they clearly demonstrate the excellent performance of the cross trench configuration as compared with the complete inefficiency of the column reinforcement technique. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental study on countermeasure against liquefaction-induced flotation of manhole using recycled materials packed in sandbags

The 2004 Niigata-ken Chuetsu earthquake in Japan caused serious damage to sewage facilities such as uplift of manholes and settlement of pavement above backfill soil for pipes.This paper deals with shake table tests in a 1 g gravity field on application of recycled materials for ground improvement to mitigation of liquefaction-induced flotation of manhole during earthquakes.The recycled materials used in tests were tire chips made of waste tires and crushed gravels made of waste reinforced concrete,and they were packed in sandbags.From the test results,it was confirmed that the recycled materials packed in sandbags could be treated as one of the countermeasures to restrain the flotation of manholes and settlement of ground surrounded by sandbags.     

Undrained behaviour of silt under static and cyclic loading

In this study, the undrained behaviour of silt under low stress level is studied. An effective preparation method for built—in silt samples in the triaxial test was firstly developed. By triaxial testing of samples at low confining pressures it was found that silt easily loses stability and liquefies. Loose silt may show temporary liquefaction under static loading, and develop full liquefaction under cyclic loading. The most important factors influencing the silt behaviour are porosity, confining pressure, consolidation state, cyclic loading level and number of cycles. The maximum obtainable shear stress is primarily a function of the confining pressure and the internal frictional angle. The actual structure of the silt material is the key factor in controlling its behaviour.     

A study of stability of the seafloor foundation on a gently sloping continental shelf

Abstract

The possibility of seafloor failure under external loadings on a gently sloping continental shelf is controlled, to a large extent, by the geotechnical characters of subbottom sediments (e.g., shear strength, compressibility, and liquefaction potential) and structural factors (e.g., sedimentary stratification). By means of undis‐turbing coring, in‐situ acoustic measurement, and subbottom profiling, the authors conducted an investigation into the seafloor instabilities and possibilities of sediment slope failure within the continental shelf off the Pearl River mouth, which is one of the most important areas for offshore development in the northern South China Sea. Based on in‐situ and laboratory measurements and tests for sediment physical properties, static and dynamic behavior, and acoustic characteristics, the analyses indicate: (1) subbottom sediments that originated from terrigenous clay during the Pleistocene are compact and overconsolidated, and the mean sound velocity in such sediments is relatively high; (2) the maximum vertical bearing capacity of subbottom sediments is efficiently conservative on the safe side for dead loads of light structures, and the trench walls are stable enough while trenching to a depth of about 2 m below the seafloor under still water; and (3) it is quite improbable that the subbottom sediments liquefy under earthquake (M ≤ 6) or storm wave loading.     

The prediction of equivalent granular steady state line of loose sand with fines

Void ratio has been used as a state variable for predicting the liquefaction behaviour of soils under the critical state, sometimes also referred to as the steady state, framework. Recent publications show that void ratio may not be a good parameter for characterising sand with fines because the steady state line (or curve) in the e-log(p′) space moves downward with increase in fines content until it reaches a threshold value referred to as the threshold fines content (TFC). Recently, an alternative state variable, referred to as the equivalent granular void ratio, has been proposed to resolve this problem. To calculate this alternative state variable, an additional parameter ‘b’ is needed. This parameter ‘b’ represents the fraction of fines that actively participate in the force structure of the solid skeleton. However, predicting the ‘b’ value is problematic. This paper examines the factors affecting the ‘b’ value based on published work on binary packing. This leads to a simple semi-empirical equation for predicting the ‘b’ value based on fines size and fines content. The proposed equations were evaluated with published data sets. Then, the concept of an equivalent granular steady state line is proposed. This concept was used to predict the location of SSLs for sand with different fines content from either the SSL of clean sand or the SSL of sand with a given fines content. The predictions agree well with experimental results.