Evaluation of Simulation Models of Lateral Spread Sites Treated with Prefabricated Vertical Drains
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 141, Issue 1
Abstract
Finite-element analyses are performed of centrifuge tests consisting of untreated and drain-treated lateral spread sites, with the goal of evaluating the ability of numerical simulations to predict the response of sites improved with prefabricated vertical drains. Finite-element models of varying complexity are analyzed: a two-dimensional model of the full centrifuge test, a three-dimensional unit cell model around a single drain, and a two-dimensional unit cell model. All the finite-element models predict pore pressures consistent with the centrifuge tests. The deformation responses of the finite-element models show that unit cell analyses produce significantly larger deformations than those observed in the centrifuge. This result is caused by the fact that the centrifuge test geometry is not well represented by the infinite slope condition assumed in a unit cell. The full two-dimensional model predicts deformations that are more consistent with those of the centrifuge because it can capture the rotational mode of deformation experienced in the centrifuge. These results indicate that the expected mode of deformation should be considered when selecting the appropriate finite-element model to analyze a site. The simulations also show that constitutive models for liquefiable soils significantly overestimate the volumetric stiffness, which leads to inaccurate modeling of the diffusion process unless the model is appropriately modified. This issue is critical when simulating the performance of drain-treated sites.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this work was provided by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. CMS-0530478 and CMS-0402490. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Arash Khosravifar provided valuable assistance with the OpenSees modeling, and Ronnie Kamai provided assistance in developing the OpenSees model of the centrifuge container.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 141 • Issue 1 • January 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 10, 2013
Accepted: Aug 8, 2014
Published online: Sep 9, 2014
Published in print: Jan 1, 2015
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