Contact Interface Modeling in the Dynamic Response of Rigid Blocks Subjected To Base Excitation

Abstract eng:
A proper selection of the percentage of the live load that must be considered as inertia is critical to the seismic analysis and design of certain structures like pile-supported container yards, in which live loads are nearly permanent and exceed the total dead load. This selection is particularly relevant in the case of flexible structures, for which the containers are not likely to experience sufficient accelerations to slide or rock and thus behave as rigid attachments. For this case, there are no clear design guidelines available with regard to the portion of the live load that should be used in dynamic analyses. To shed some light on this problem, a series of tests on a 1:15 scale model subjected to arrays of ground motions is currently underway. Along with this experimental program, numerical simulation is being conducted to develop a simple yet robust finite element (FE) model that can capture not only sliding and rocking, but also inelastic collisions involved in the response of a rigid block to base excitation. The resulting model will later be used to estimate the seismic response of a platform-container system with dynamic characteristics similar to those of the laboratory test model. Thus, a comparison between test and analysis results can be established for FE model calibration purposes and sensitivity studies can ultimately be conducted to assess the effect of live load on the seismic response of pile-supported container yards. This paper mainly deals with one of the most important steps in the development of the FE model: the modeling of the platform-container contact interface. Results from preliminary analyses of rigid blocks subjected to base excitation and exhibiting different response modes (including sliding and rocking) are presented. The results are shown to be in agreement with literature test data.

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