A Numerical Study of Dynamic Behavior of a Self-Supported Sheet Pile Wall

Abstract eng:
Self-supported sheet pile walls constructed near water-front environments in large cities are vulnerable to large earthquakes because of corrosion or aging of their components. Thus, maintenance and reinforcement of such a structure are of prime importance for robustness of infrastructures in large cities. In this study, physical model tests under centrifugal acceleration of 50 G are conducted and results are compared with the one obtained by a finite element analysis. A model sheet-pile wall is made of aluminum plate and the model ground is either dry or saturated with viscous water. In the physical model tests, to properly consolidate the model ground before shaking, the model is put under 50 G with pile head fixed. Then, sinusoidal waves are input with no constraint at the pile head. Numerical analysis is conducted with the same dimension as a prototype of the physical model. When the lateral movement of the sheet pile head is fixed during the self-weight analysis in simulation, that is the same condition as the model tests, computed bending moments due to consolidation agree with measured ones and also deflections after shaking are generally consistent with each other. While if the sheet pile head is free in the self-weight analysis, computed bending moments and deformations disagree with measured ones. Thus, to simulate an existing sheet pile wall behavior during large earthquakes with accuracy required in practice, it may be necessary to have in-situ bending moment profiles and use them as an initial condition.

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