The free vibration analysis of submerged cantilever plates

Based on empirical added mass formulation, this work presents a simple procedure to determine the vibration frequencies and mode shapes of submerged cantilever plates. Once the added mass formulation is derived, the procedure can be used to analyze free vibration response easily. An analytical and numerical study is also performed for the vibrations of cantilever plates in air and in water, with these results compared with experimental and numerical data from pertinent literature. Besides, the frequency parameters of the submerged plate for various aspect ratios and thickness ratios are given in design data sheet form and are appropriate for engineering design applications.     

Analytical solution for the response of a flexible retaining structure with an elastic backfill

An extension of an existing analytical solution for the response of a flexible retaining wall subjected to seismic loading is presented. The solution is based on the assumption that the wall and the soil remain elastic and that there are no shear stresses at the wall–soil interface while the contact remains tied. In addition to the wall displacements due to bending, the wall can experience rigid‐body motions due to rotation and horizontal and vertical movements. The solution is verified by comparing its results with those of a finite element method. Results from the analytical solution together with those of the (FEM) are used to identify and quantify the relative importance of key parameters on the seismic response of a wall. The study shows that wall flexibility and horizontal rigid‐body motions of the wall and frequency content of the seismic input have a significant effect on the wall loads. The pressures behind a rigid wall decrease as the wall rotates about its base, whereas for a flexible wall, the soil pressures decrease as the friction between the backfill and the wall increases. The rigid‐body vertical movements of a wall have little impact on the dynamic pressures induced in the wall, except for a flexible wall where, when prevented, the dynamic loads may be reduced. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simplified analytical solution for point load acting behind a cantilever wall

The analysis of earth pressure resulting from an applied point load behind a retaining wall is to be carried out in three dimensions as the earth pressure distribution varies both in vertical and horizontal directions. In this research, the semi‐empirical expressions developed by Terzaghi [Trans. ASCE 1954; 119 ] for earth pressure due to point load are integrated and a correction factor is introduced to develop equivalent equations for two‐dimensional analyses. A new parameter referred to as the design width, which is the horizontal distance retained by the individual vertical retaining element is introduced. The used procedure and the resulted equations are tested and verified by adopting different design width values covering the practical range. The resulted equations together with the semi‐empirical expressions of earth pressure due to line load developed by Terzaghi [Trans. ASCE 1954; 119 ] can be easily used for two‐dimensional analysis of the effect of point load. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

成层土中悬臂式地下墙内力计算等等值梁法

建筑基坑范围内的土层以成层土居多，基坑技术规范要求计算成层土的土压力时应分层计算，本文按等值梁法原理，给出了成层土中分层计算土压力，再计算悬臂式地下连续墙支护结构内力（剪力和弯矩）的方法。     

长春市粘性土建筑基坑悬臂桩支护设计计算方法探讨

长春市建筑基坑支护一层地下室采用多悬臂桩支护体系，结合长春市粘性土为超固结土的特征，选用静力平衡法、Blum法、极限平衡法、试算法等4种常用的悬臂桩支护设计计算方法进行探讨，并在计算时对相应的计算参数进行适当调整，通过对比分析得出极限平衡法及其相应的参数值适合于长春市粘性土的悬壁桩支护设计计算。     

Evaluation of the parameters affecting the roughness coefficient of sewer pipes with rigid and loose boundary conditions via kernel based approaches

One of the important issues in water transport and sewer systems is determining the flow resistance and roughness coefficient.An accurate estimation of the roughness coefficient is a substantial issue in the design and operation of hydraulic structures such as sewer pipes,the calculation of water depth and flow velocity,and the accurate characterization of energy losses.The current study,applies two kernel based approaches [Support Vector Machine(SVM) and Gaussian Process Regression(GPR)] to develop roughness coefficient models for sewer pipes.In the modeling process,two types of sewer bed conditions were considered:loose bed and rigid bed.In order to develop the models,different input combinations were considered under three scenarios(Scenario 1:based on hydraulic characteristics,Scenarios2 and 3:based on hydraulic and sediment characteristics with and without considering sediment concentration as input).The results proved the capability of the kernel based approaches in prediction of the roughness coefficient and it was found that for prediction of this parameter in sewer pipes Scenario 3 performed better than Scenarios 1 and 2.Also,the sensitivity analysis results showed that Dgr(Dimensionless particle number) for a rigid bed and w_b/y(ratio of deposited bed width,w_b,to flow depth,y) for a loose bed had the most significant impact on the modeling process.     

Seismic behavior of asymmetric RC wall buildings: principles and new deformation‐based design method

The seismic design of multi‐story buildings asymmetric in plan yet regular in elevation and stiffened with ductile RC structural walls is addressed. A realistic modeling of the non‐linear ductile behavior of the RC walls is considered in combination with the characteristics of the dynamic torsional response of asymmetric buildings. Design criteria such as the determination of the system ductility, taking into account the location and ductility demand of the RC walls, the story‐drift demand at the softer (most displaced) edge of the building under the design earthquake, the allowable ductility (ultimate limit state) and the allowable story‐drift (performance goals) are discussed. The definition of an eccentricity of the earthquake‐equivalent lateral force is proposed and used to determine the effective displacement profile of the building yet not the strength distribution under the design earthquake. Furthermore, an appropriate procedure is proposed to calculate the fundamental frequency and the earthquake‐equivalent lateral force. A new deformation‐based seismic design method taking into account the characteristics of the dynamic torsional response, the ductility of the RC walls, the system ductility and the story‐drift at the softer (most displaced) edge of the building is presented and illustrated with an example of seismic design of a multi‐story asymmetric RC wall building. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Centrifuge modeling of load-deformation behavior of rocking shallow foundations

Shallow foundations supporting building structures might be loaded well into their nonlinear range during intense earthquake loading. The nonlinearity of the soil may act as an energy dissipation mechanism, potentially reducing shaking demands exerted on the building. This nonlinearity, however, may result in permanent deformations that also cause damage to the building. Five series of tests on a large centrifuge, including 40 models of shear wall footings, were performed to study the nonlinear load-deformation characteristics during cyclic and earthquake loading. Footing dimensions, depth of embedment, wall weight, initial static vertical factor of safety, soil density, and soil type (dry sand and saturated clay) were systematically varied. The moment capacity was not observed to degrade with cycling, but due to the deformed shape of the footing–soil interface and uplift associated with large rotations, stiffness degradation was observed. Permanent deformations beneath the footing continue to accumulate with the number of cycles of loading, though the rate of accumulation of settlement decreases as the footing embeds itself.     

Lateral Earth Pressure due to Backfill Subject to a Strip of Surcharge

The evaluation of the active earth thrust of backfill, on which a surcharge strip acts, is generally made using a hybrid approach where a thrust increment due to the surcharge strip is calculated using elasticity theory and added to the thrust calculated in absence of the surcharge strip and in failure condition of the thrust wedge. This paper gives a coherent solution to the problem, based entirely on Coulomb’s approach. It presents the analytical solution of the active thrust and of the position of the application point of the thrust.     

Liquefied soil pressures on vertical walls with adjacent embankments

Horizontal earth pressures on rigid vertical walls in liquefied soils have extensively been studied by many researchers for the level ground surface condition. In this paper, a series of centrifuge tests was conducted to investigate the effects of embankments resting on ground surfaces on the pressure on the rigid vertical walls. In the tests, earth pressures on the rigid walls were successfully measured with built-in earth pressure cells with small accelerometers attached on them. The earth pressure cells are capable of measuring both normal and shear stresses simultaneously with a good accuracy. It appears that dynamic component of the earth pressure of liquefied sand is in proportion to the acceleration of the rigid wall irrespective of amplitude and frequency of the input motion, and increases with increasing average embankment load. On the other hand, the residual component of the earth pressure is found to be well estimated from FEM assuming the liquefied soil as an incompressible elastic body. A practical formula of the earth pressures is established for the purpose of practical use.Another series of centrifuge tests was carried out on models with solidification or densification zones below embankment toes as a remedial countermeasure against liquefaction-induced embankment failure. It was found that the proposed formulae holds valid independently of the movement of walls as long as the liquefied soil behaves as a heavy fluid, and the countermeasure does not soften significantly.