Sliding Mass Period for Seismic Displacements of Spatially Variable Slopes
Publication: Geo-Congress 2024
ABSTRACT
Deterministic and probabilistic procedures for estimating seismic displacements of engineered and natural slopes depend on the uncertainty of the seismic yield coefficient (ky) and the initial fundamental period (Ts) of the potential sliding mass. However, inherent soil spatial variability within slopes can significantly contribute to the uncertainty in the potential sliding mass extent, which propagates to uncertainties in ky and Ts. This study investigates the influence of subsurface soil variability, as modeled by non-stationary spatial random fields of the undrained shear strength, on the resulting variability of ky and Ts for a hypothetical slope geometry. The random fields assume a lognormal distribution, with alternative assumptions for the mean, coefficient of variation, and horizontal correlation range. Pseudostatic stability analyses for determining ky and the associated sliding mass geometry were performed using the finite difference program FLAC. The Ts was evaluated using a mass-weighting scheme and considered the influence of alternative soil shear wave velocity assumptions. The results demonstrate important considerations for interpreting the variability of ky and Ts for deterministic and performance-based seismic displacement studies.
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Published online: Feb 22, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Continuum mechanics
- Displacement (mechanics)
- Dynamics (solid mechanics)
- Earthquake engineering
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering mechanics
- Geohazards
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Landslides
- Motion (dynamics)
- Seismic effects
- Seismic tests
- Slopes
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil strength
- Solid mechanics
- Structural mechanics
- Tests (by type)
- Uncertainty principles
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