Response of Sands to Multidirectional Dynamic Loading in Centrifuge Tests
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 146, Issue 10
Abstract
Dynamic centrifuge tests were performed to investigate multidirectional loading effects on the shear and volumetric response of saturated sands under partially drained, level-ground conditions. These tests illustrate that dense sand shear response is not affected significantly by multidirectional shaking and can be estimated reasonably by one-dimensional nonlinear total and effective stress site response analyses. Multidirectionality factors for both excess porewater pressure () and vertical strain () tended to increase with density and decrease with shaking intensity. Specifically, ranged from about 1 to 4, with an average value of about 2 for low values and approaching unity as the soil approaches liquefaction. Similarly, ranged from about 1 to 3, with an average value of about 2 for low values and approaching 1.3 as the soil approached liquefaction. Multidirectionality factors as functions of the factor of safety against liquefaction are proposed that differ from constant MDFs recommended elsewhere. Lastly, energy-based intensity measures provided nearly unique estimates of excess porewater pressure and vertical strain for both uni- and bidirectional motions, avoiding the need for MDFs.
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Acknowledgments
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) provided support for this work under Award NRC-HQ-12-C-04-0117. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the USNRC.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 146 • Issue 10 • October 2020
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© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jan 15, 2019
Accepted: May 19, 2020
Published online: Aug 5, 2020
Published in print: Oct 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Jan 5, 2021
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