VIBRATING-UPLIFT ROCKING MOTION OF CAISSONBREAKWATERS UNDER VARIOUS BREAKINGWAVE IMPACT FORCES

Overturning is one of principal failure types of caisson breakwaters and is an essential content of stability examination in caisson breakwater design. The mass-spring-dashpot model of caisson-foundation system is used to simulate the vibrating-uplift rocking motion of caisson under various types of breaking wave impact forces, i.e., single peak impact force, double peak impact force, and shock-damping oscillation impact force. The effects of various breaking wave types and the uplift rocking motion on dynamic response behaviors of caisson breakwaters are investigated. It is shown that the dynamic responses of a caisson are significantly different under different types of breaking wave impact forces even when the amplitudes of impact forces are equal. Though the rotation of a caisson is larger due to the uplift rocking motion, the displacement, the sliding force and the overturning moment of the caisson are significantly reduced. It provides the theoretical base for the design idea that the uplift rocking motion of caisson is allowed in design.

Site specific probabilistic seismic hazard analysis at Dubai Creek on the west coast of UAE

A probabilistic seismic hazard analysis （PSHA） was conducted to establish the hazard spectra for a site located at Dubai Creek on the west coast of the United Arab Emirates （UAE）. The PSHA considered all the seismogenic sources that affect the site, including plate boundaries such as the Makran subduction zone, the Zagros fold-thrust region and the transition fault system between them; and local crustal faults in UAE. PSHA indicated that local faults dominate the hazard. The peak ground acceleration （PGA） for the 475-year return period spectrum is 0.17 g and 0.33 g for the 2,475-year return period spectrum. The hazard spectra are then employed to establish rock ground motions using the spectral matching technique.

Heterogeneity induced strain localization in block-in-matrix-soils subjected to uniaxial loading using real-time CT scanning

Block-in-matrix-soils(bimsoils)are geological mixtures that have distinct structures consisting of relatively strong rock blocks and weak matrix soils.It is still a challenge to evaluate the mechanical behaviors of bimsoils because of the heterogeneity,chaotic structure,and lithological variability.As a result,only very limited laboratory studies have been reported on the evolution of their internal deformation.In this study,the deformation evolution of bimsoils under uniaxial loading is investigated using real-time X-ray computed tomography(CT)and image correlation algorithm(with a rock block percentage(RBP)of 40%).Three parameters,i.e.heterogeneity coefficient(K),correlation coefficient(CC),and standard deviation(STD)of displacement fields,are proposed to quantify the heterogeneity of the motion of the rock blocks and the progressive deformation of the bimsoils.Experimental results show that the rock blocks in bimsoils are prone to forming clusters with increasing loading,and the sliding surface goes around only one side of a cluster.Based on the movement of the rock blocks recorded by STD and CC,the progressive deformation of the bimsoils is quantitatively divided into three stages:initialization of the rotation of rock blocks,formation of rock block clusters,and formation of a shear band by rock blocks with significant rotation.Moreover,the experimental results demonstrate that the meso-motion of rock blocks controls the macroscopic mechanical properties of the samples.