Abstract
dc:description.abstractThe 2010-2011 Canterbury, New Zealand, Earthquake Sequence (CES) resulted in 185 fatalities and approximately $NZ40 billion in damage, much of which was due to liquefaction and related phenomena. As a result, an extensive soil improvement field testing program was initiated and Rammed Aggregate Piers� (RAP) were shown to be a feasible method to mitigate the risk from liquefaction during future events. To better design and more fully assess the efficacy of reinforcement techniques against liquefaction, pre- and post-treatment in-situ test data are compiled, to include results from cone penetration tests (CPT), direct-push crosshole tests, and vibroseis (T-Rex) shaking tests. The data are used to evaluate the capabilities of numerical tools to predict the liquefaction response of unimproved and improved sites. A finite difference (FD) numerical model is developed in a FLAC platform and a coupled analysis using the Finn model with Byrne (1991) formulation is conducted. The FD model calibrated for top-down shakings similar to the vibroseis tests succeeded in qualitatively reproducing the general observed behavior without quantitatively matching the in-situ values for shear strains and excess pore pressure ratios. The introduction of the RAP elements to the FD model reduced the shear strain, but slightly overestimated that reduction. Considering more advanced constitutive models that better simulate the complexity of the soil behavior under dynamic loading would likely increase the accuracy of the predicted response.
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- MS
- Level thesis:degree_level
- masters
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- Civil Engineering
- Department dc:contributor.department
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Grantor dc:publisher
- Virginia Tech
- Year dc:date.issued
- 2019
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Saade, Angela Charbel
- Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
-
- Yerro Colom, Alba
- Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
-
- Green, Russell A.
- Castellanos, Bernardo Antonio
Subjects
dc:subject × 5Rights
dc:rights- Statement dc:rights
-
- In Copyright
- Licence dc:rights.uri
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Dc Identifier Other
- vt_gsexam:18395
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/99375