Numerical analysis on seismic performance of underground structures in liquefiable interlayer sites from centrifuge shaking table test

When an underground structure passes through a liquefiable soil layer,the soil liquefaction may pose a significant threat to the structure.A centrifuge shaking table test was performed to research the seismic response of underground structures in liquefiable interlayer sites,and a valid numerical model was obtained through simulation model test.Finally,the calibrated numerical model was used to perform further research on the influence of various distribution characteristics of liquefiable interlayers on the seismic reaction of underground structures.The key findings are as follows.The structure faces the most unfavorable condition once a liquefiable layer is located in the middle of the underground structure.When a liquefiable layer exists in the middle of the structure,the seismic reactions of both the underground structure and model site will increase with the rise of the thickness of the liquefiable interlayer.The inter-story drift of the structure in the non-liquefiable site is much smaller than that in the liquefiable interlayer site.The inter-story drift of the structure is not only associated with the site displacement and the soil-structure stiffness ratio but also closely associated with the slippage of the soil-structure contact interface under the condition of large deformation of the site.

Shaking table test and numerical analysis of offshore wind turbine tower systems controlled by TLCD

A wind turbine system equipped with a tuned liquid column damper （TLCD） is comprehensively studied via shaking table tests using a 1/13-scaled model. The effects of wind and wave actions are considered by inputting response- equivalent accelerations on the shaking table. The test results show that the control effect of the TLCD system is significant in reducing the responses under both wind-wave equivalent loads and ground motions, but obviously varies for different inputs, Further, a blade-hub-tower integrated numerical model for the wind turbine system is established. The model is capable of considering the rotational effect of blades by combining Kane＇s equation with the finite element method. The responses of the wind tower equipped with TLCD devices are numerically obtained and compared to the test results, showing that under both controlled and uncontrolled conditions with and without blades＇ rotation, the corresponding responses exhibit good agreement. This demonstrates that the proposed numerical model performs well in capturing the wind-wave coupled response of the offshore wind turbine systems under control. Both numerical and experimental results show that the TLCD system can significantly reduce the structural response and thus improve the safety and serviceability of the offshore wind turbine tower systems. Additional issues that require further study are discussed.

Shaking table test and numerical analysis of a 1:12 scale model of a special concentrically braced steel frame with pinned connections

This paper describes shaking table tests of a 1：12 scale model of a special concentrically braced steel frame with pinned connections, which was fabricated according to a one-bay braced frame selected from a typical main factory building of a large thermal power plant. In order to investigate the seismic performance of this type of structure, several ground motion accelerations with different levels for seismic intensity Ⅷ, based on the Chinese Code for Seismic Design of Buildings, were selected to excite the model. The results show that the design methods of the members and the connections are adequate and that the structural system will perform well in regions of high seismicity. In addition to the tests, numerical simulations were also conducted and the results showed good agreement with the test results. Thus, the numerical model is shown to be accurate and the beam element can be used to model this structural system.

Study on dynamic response of embedded long span corrugated steel culverts using scaled model shaking table tests and numerical analyses

A series of scaled-model shaking table tests and its simulation analyses using dynamic finite element method were performed to clarify the dynamic behaviors and the seismic stability of embedded corrugated steel culverts due to strong earth-quakes like the 1995 Hyogoken-nanbu earthquake. The dynamic strains of the embedded culvert models and the seismic soil pressure acting on the models due to sinusoidal and random strong motions were investigated. This study verified that the cor-rugated culvert model was subjected to dynamic horizontal forces (lateral seismic soil pressure) from the surrounding ground, which caused the large bending strains on the structure; and that the structures do not exceed the allowable plastic deformation and do not collapse completely during strong earthquake like Hyogoken-nanbu earthquake. The results obtained are useful for design and construction of embedded long span corrugated steel culverts in seismic regions.

Shaking table tests and dynamic analyses of masonry wall buildings with frame-shear walls at lower stories

This paper describes shaking table tests of three eight-story building models： all are masonry structures in the upper stories, with or without frame-shear walls of one- or two- stories at the bottom. The test results of damage characteristics and seismic responses are provided and compared. Then, nonlinear response analyses are conducted to examine the reliability of the dynamic analysis. Finally, many nonlinear response analyses are performed and it is concluded that for relatively hard sites under a certain lateral stiffness ratio （i.e., the ratio of the stiffness of the lowest upper masonry story to that of the frame- shear wall story）, the masonry structure with one-story frame-shear wall at the bottom performs better than a structure built entirely of masonry, and a masonry structure with frame-shear wall of two stories performs better than with one-story frame- shear wall. In relatively soft soil conditions, all three structures have similar performane. In addition, some suggestions that could be helpful for design of masonry structures with ground story of frame-shear wall structure in seismic intensity region VII, such as the appropriate lateral stiffness ratio, shear force increase factor of the frame-shear wall story, and permissible maximum height of the building, are proposed.

Shaking table test and dynamic response prediction on an earthquake-damaged RC building

This paper presents the results from shaking table tests of a one-tenth-scale reinforced concrete (RC) building model.The test model is a protype of a building that was seriously damaged during the 1985 Mexico earthquake.The input ground excitation used during the test was from the records obtained near the site of the prototype building during the 1985 and 1995 Mexico earthquakes.The tests showed that the damage pattern of the test model agreed well with that of the prototype building.Analytical prediction of earthquake response has been conducted for the prototype building using a sophisticated 3-D frame model.The input motion used for the dynamic analysis was the shaking table test measurements with similarity transformation.The comparison of the analytical results and the shaking table test results indicates that the response of the RC building to minor and the moderate earthquakes can be predicated well.However,there is difference between the predication and the actual response to the major earthquake.

Shaking Table Test Study on Dynamic Characteristics of Bridge Foundation Reinforcement on Slopes

With the fast development of bridge construction in mountainous and seismic areas,it is necessary to conduct related research. Based on the design of a shaking table model test,here are the following test results: the filtering effect exists in soil and is affected by the dynamic constraint conditions,the amplitude is strengthened around the natural frequency and weakened in other frequency bands in the Fourier spectrum. Since the acceleration scaling effect occurred on a sloped surface,the acceleration response decreases from the outside to the inside in soil. The dynamic response is relatively strong near the slip surface in bedrock due to the reflection of seismic waves. The failure mode of landslide is decided by the slope angle and slipping mass distribution, and the test shows the front row stabilizing piles should keep a proper distance from bridge foundation so that seismic resistance can be guaranteed for the bridge foundation.

Shaking table test and numerical simulation on the effect of reinforcement on the seismic safety of dam slopes

The seismic safety of the reinforcement dam slope is studied through shaking table test and numerical simulation.The dynamic characteristics of dam slopes,failure mechanism,seismic stability,as well as the effect of reinforcement during earthquakes are discussed.An elasto-plastic analysis method (FLAC) is used to simulate the dynamic failure process of the reinforcement dam slope.The change law of permanent displacement of dam slope is studied.The effect of the length and the space of reinforcement on the depth of slip surface and the slope stability are investigated.Good agreement is obtained between the numerical results and those from shaking table tests.The results show that the dynamic failure is a gradual process not at a particular time.With the increase of the reinforcement length or the decreasing reinforcement spacing,the slip surface becomes deeper and thus the slope stability is improved.The reinforcement can obviously enhance the overall stability of slope dam.It can also effectively control the shallow sliding of slope.These researches provide basic data for reinforcement measures design of earth-rockfill dam.

Numerical simulation of irregular section underground structure shaking table test model

Based on the the large shaking table test results on irregular section subway station structure in soft soil,an overall time-history numerical simulation is conducted to study the nonlinear dynamic interaction of the soilirregular underground structure.Typical test results,including the acceleration of the soil,acceleration,and deformation of the structure,were analyzed.Satisfactory consistency between the simulation and test results is verified,and the difference between these results was discussed in detail.The maximum inter-story drift ratio was approximately 1/472 under input PGA=0.54 g.The strain responses of columns were significantly larger than those of the side walls and slabs.The components in the lower layers of the irregular subway station structure,particularly in the central columns,underwent cumulative damage.The research results could provide a simplified analysis method to quantitatively evaluate the damage of irregular underground structures in soft soil.

Model test and numerical simulation on the dynamic stability of the bedding rock slope under frequent microseisms

Shake table testing was performed to investigate the dynamic stability of a mid-dip bedding rock slope under frequent earthquakes. Then, numerical modelling was established to further study the slope dynamic stability under purely microseisms and the influence of five factors, including seismic amplitude, slope height, slope angle, strata inclination and strata thickness, were considered. The experimental results show that the natural frequency of the slope decreases and damping ratio increases as the earthquake loading times increase. The dynamic strength reduction method is adopted for the stability evaluation of the bedding rock slope in numerical simulation, and the slope stability decreases with the increase of seismic amplitude, increase of slope height, reduction of strata thickness and increase of slope angle. The failure mode of a mid-dip bedding rock slope in the shaking table test is integral slipping along the bedding surface with dipping tensile cracks at the slope rear edge going through the bedding surfaces. In the numerical simulation, the long-term stability of a mid-dip bedding slope is worst under frequent microseisms and the slope is at risk of integral sliding instability, whereas the slope rock mass is more broken than shown in the shaking table test. The research results are of practical significance to better understand the formation mechanism of reservoir landslides and prevent future landslide disasters.

Shaking table test for reinforcement of soil slope with multiple sliding surfaces by reinforced double-row anti-slide piles

Despite the continuous advancements of engineering construction in high-intensity areas,many engineering landslides are still manufactured with huge thrust force,and double-row piles are effective to control such large landslides.In this study,large shaking table test were performed to test and obtain multi-attribute seismic data such as feature image,acceleration,and dynamic soil pressure.Through the feature image processing analysis,the deformation characteristics for the slope reinforced by double-row piles were revealed.By analyzing the acceleration and the dynamic soil pressure time domain,the spatial dynamic response characteristics were revealed.Using Fast Fourier Transform and half-power bandwidth,the damping ratio of acceleration and dynamic soil pressure was obtained.Following that,the Seism Signal was used to calculate the spectral displacement of the accelerations to obtain the regional differences of spectral displacement.The results showed that the overall deformation mechanism of the slope originates from tension failure in the soil mass.The platform at the back of the slope was caused by seismic subsidence,and the peak acceleration ratio was positively correlated with the relative pile heights.The dynamic soil pressure of the front row piles showed an inverted"K"-shaped distribution,but that of the back row piles showed an"S"-shaped distribution.The predominant frequency of acceleration was 2.16 Hz,and the main frequency band was 0.7-6.87 Hz;for dynamic soil pressure,the two parameters became 1.15 Hz and 0.5-6.59 Hz,respectively.In conclusion,dynamic soil pressure was more sensitive to dampening effects than acceleration.Besides,compared to acceleration,dynamic soil pressure exhibited larger loss factors and lower resonance peaks.Finally,back row pile heads were highly sensitive to spectral displacement compared to front row pile heads.These findings may be of reference value for future seismic designs of double-row piles.

Shaking table test of seismic responses of anchor cable and lattice beam reinforced slope

As a combined supporting structure,the anchor cable and lattice beam have a complex interaction with the slope body.In order to investigate the seismic behaviors of the slope reinforced by anchor cable and lattice beam,a largescale shaking table test was carried out on a slope model(geometric scale of 1:20)by applying recorded and artificial seismic waves with different amplitudes.The acceleration and displacement of the slope,the displacement of lattice beam and the axial force of anchor cable were obtained to study the interaction between the slope and the supporting structure.The test results show that:(1)the acceleration responses of the slope at different relative elevations display obvious nonlinear characteristics with increasing of the peak ground acceleration(PGA)of the inputted seismic waves,and the weak intercalated layer has a stronger effect on acceleration amplification at the upper part of the slope than that at the lower part of the slope;(2)the frequency component near the second dominant frequency is significantly magnified by the interaction between the slope and the supporting structure;(3)the anchor cables at the upper part of the slope have larger peak and residual axial forces than that at the lower part of the slope,and the prestress loss of the anchor cable first occurs at the top of the slope and then passes down;(4)the peak and residual displacements inside the slope and on the lattice beam increase with the increase of relative elevation.When the inputted PGA is not greater than 0.5 g,the combined effect of anchor cable and lattice beam is remarkable for stabilizing the middle and lower parts of the potential sliding body.The research results can provide a reference for the seismic design of such slope and the optimization of supporting structure.

Damage evolution mechanism of rock-soil mass of bedrock and overburden layer slopes based on shaking table test

This paper aims to investigate the seismic motion characteristics of bedrock and overburden layer slope with the prototype model taken from slopes in the Zheduo Mountain in Northwest Plateau of Sichuan Province,China.Based on dimensional analysis and similarity principle,two model tests with different slope angles were carried out.A transfer function analysis method was proposed to interpret the results from shaking table tests.After eliminating trend terms and signal filtering,the time-domain acceleration was transformed into frequency domain.Then the transfer function was calculated by an average periodic chart.The variation of transfer function from different positions was analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient,and the least square iteration method was used for modal analysis.The effect of seismic intensity on the dynamic response was highlighted.It is found that the transfer function obviously changes when the slopes are destroyed.Results from modal analysis show that the natural frequency decreases with the increase of the excitation intensity,and the damping ratio increases due to slope damage.

Detection of the support damage of spatial steel structures under earthquakes based on shaking table test

There are always some local damages in spatial steel structures induced by strong earthquakes, such as welding cracks of steel nodes,anchor loose of supports etc.If these local damages of spatial steel structures occur,there will be serious dangers to the structural safety.In order to detect the position of local damage under earthquake quickly and accurately,the method of support damage diagnosis of spatial steel structures under earthquakes is studied by using wavelet packet decomposition,data fusion and cluster analysis.Furthermore,a scale model of spatial steel structure was tested on a seismic simulation shaking table to detect the position of damaged support.Results show that the damaged support position can be detected accurately by using the method proposed in this paper,which has practical applications to the damage detection of spatial steel structures.

Shaking Table Test of Pile-Water-Pier Superstructure

The model test of seismic simulation shaking table is an important method to study the seismic design of bridge structure. In order to evaluate the seismic response and dynamic characteristics of pile-water-pier system for developing more reliable design procedures, shaking table model tests of a submerged bridge pier system, including pile groups-cap-pier and inertia mass, were conducted. Since different similitude laws corresponding to different test objectives affected the validity of test results, the similitude law with the aim to consider the effect of hydrodynamic pressure was proposed and confirmed through an actual example. Based on the test results, the effect of water around model on seismic response under seismic excitation input was analyzed and the failure level was judged by observing the variation of basic frequency. The test results indicate that the transfer function of analytical model with water is different from that without water, the natural frequency without water is always higher than that with water, and the first modal shapes are various. It is also concluded that the similitude law is suitable for practical application and the dynamic characteristics and seismic response of the structure system can be changed because of the existence of the surrounding water, which should be paid much attention in the further investigation.

Shaking Table Tests and Seismic Response of Three-Bucket Jacket Foundations for Offshore Wind Turbines

The seismic response characteristics of three-bucket jacket foundations for offshore wind turbines(OWTs)and the liquefaction of the surrounding soil are particularly important for the development and application of this type of structure for offshore use.Using the shaking table test and three-dimensional finite element analysis,different magnitudes of simulated earthquake waves were used as inputs to the shaking table to model seismic excitations.The resulting changes in the excess pore water pressure and acceleration response of the soil under horizontal earthquake are compared in this paper.Calculations of the anti-liquefaction shear stress and equivalent shearing stress during the earthquake,determination of the areas prone to liquefaction,and identification of the effect of the three-bucket jacket foundation on the soil liquefaction resistance were conducted by developing a soil-structure finite element model.The development law of the soil’s amplification effect on seismic acceleration and the seismic response of the foundation soil under various magnitude earthquake waves were also discussed.Results indicate that liquefying the soil inside the bucket of the foundation is more difficult than that outside the bucket during the excitation of seismic waves due to the large upper load and the restraint of the surrounding hoop.This finding confirms the advantages of the three-bucket jacket foundations in improving the liquefaction resistance of the soil inside the bucket.However,the confinement has a barely noticeable impact on the nearby soil outside the skirt.The phenomenon of soil liquefaction at the bottom of the skirt occurred earlier than that in other positions during the seismic excitation,and the excess pore water pressure slowly dissipated.The acceleration amplification coefficient of the sand outside the bucket increases with depth,but that of the sand inside the bucket is substantially inhibited in the height range of the bucket foundation.This result proves the inhibition effects of the three-bucket jacket foundations on the seismic responses of soils.The liquefied soil layer has a significant effect in absorbing a certain amount of seismic wave energy and reducing the amplification effect.The numerical simulation results are consistent with the phenomenon and data measured during the shaking table test.The current study also verifies the feasibility of the excess pore water pressure ratio and the anti-liquefaction shear stress method for judging soil liquefaction.

Shaking Table Tests on Bridge Foundation Reinforced by Antislide Piles on Slope

Based on the requirement of seismic reinforcement of bridge foundation on slope in the Chengdu-Lanzhou railway project,a shaking table model test of anti-slide pile protecting bridge foundation in landslide section is designed and completed. By applying Wenchuan seismic waves with different acceleration peaks,the stress and deformation characteristics of bridge pile foundation and anti-slide pile are analyzed,and the failure mode is discussed. Results show that the dynamic response of bridge pile and anti-slide pile are affected by the peak value of seismic acceleration of earthquake,with which the stress and deformation of the structure increase. The maximum dynamic earth pressure and the moment of anti-slide piles are located near the sliding surface,while that of bridge piles are located at the top of the pile. Based on the dynamic response of structure,local reinforcement needs to be carried out to meet the requirement of the seismic design. The PGA amplification factor of the surface is greater than the inside,and it decreases with the increase of the input seismic acceleration peak. When the slope failure occurs,the tension cracks are mainly produced in the shallow sliding zone and the coarse particles at the foot of the slope are accumulated.

Property estimation of free-field sand in 1-g shaking table tests

Experimental data taken from free-field soil in 1-g shaking table tests are valuable for seismic studies on soil-structure interaction.But the available data from medium-to large-scale shaking table tests were not abundant enough to cover a large variety of types and conditions of the soil.In the study,1-g shaking table tests of a 3-m-height sand column were conducted to provide seismic experimental data about sand.The sand was directly collected in-situ,with the largest grain diameter being 2 cm and containing a water content of 6.3%.Properties of the sand were estimated under the influence of white noise plus pulse and earthquake motions,including the settlement,the dynamic properties of the sand column,and the three soil layers′shear modulus degradation relationships.The estimated properties were then indirectly verified by means of finite element analysis.Results show that the estimated parameters were effective and could be used in numerical modeling to reproduce approximate seismic responses of the sand column.

Shaking table test on a tunnel-group metro station in rock site under harmonic excitation

A tunnel-group metro station built in rock site is composed of a group of tunnels.Different tunnels and their interconnections can show inconsistent responses during an earthquake.This study investigates the dynamic responses of such a metro station in a rock site,by shaking table tests.The lining structures of each tunnel and surrounding rock are modeled based on the similitude law;foam concrete and gypsum are used to model the ground-structure system,keeping relative stiffness consistent with that of the prototype.A series of harmonic waves are employed as excitations,input along the transverse and longitudinal direction of the shaking table.The discrepant responses caused by the structural irregularities are revealed by measurement of acceleration and strain of the model.Site characteristics are identified by the transfer function method in white noise cases.The test results show that the acceleration response and strain response of the structure are controlled by the ground.In particular,the acceleration amplification effect at the opening section of the station hall is more significant than that at the standard section under transverse excitation;the amplification effect of the structural opening is insignificant under longitudinal excitation.

Shaking table experimental study of recycled concrete frame-shear wall structures

In this study, four 1/5 scaled shaking table tests were conducted to investigate the seismic performance of recycled concrete frame-shear wall structures with different recycled aggregates replacement rates and concealed bracing detail. The four tested structures included one normal concrete model, one recycled coarse aggregate concrete model, and two recycled coarse and fi ne aggregate concrete models with or without concealed bracings inside the shear walls. The dynamic characteristics, dynamic response and failure mode of each model were compared and analyzed. Finite element models were also developed and nonlinear time-history response analysis was conducted. The test and analysis results show that the seismic performance of the recycled coarse aggregate concrete frame-shear wall structure is slightly worse than the normal concrete structure. The seismic resistance capacity of the recycled concrete frame-shear wall structure can be greatly improved by setting up concealed bracings inside the walls. With appropriate design, the recycled coarse aggregate concrete frame-shear wall structure and recycled concrete structure with concealed bracings inside the walls can be applied in buildings.