Physical and Numerical Modeling of Hybrid Foundations to Mitigate Seismic Fault Rupture Effects
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 11
Abstract
Strong earthquakes threaten civil structures through ground shaking and, sometimes, due to the outcrop of the causative fault. A number of hybrid foundation schemes that have been found helpful in protecting a structure against strong shaking are evaluated with respect to their effectiveness in reducing the impact of tectonic displacements as well. A series of physical model tests are conducted on hybrid foundations combining (1) footings, designed to provide seismic protection (isolation) through rocking, with (2) a number of belowground interventions hopefully capable of diverting the fault rupture and limiting structural distortion. Fault rupture propagation within a stratum of dense dry sand is simulated at a scale of 1:15 using a custom made 3-m-long split box. The performance of hybrid foundation systems embedded in sand is compared with that of the same footing without interventions. Finite-element modeling is also used and, after validation against experimental results, is used in a parametric study on the effectiveness of the proposed interventions and the potential optimization of their geometry.
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Acknowledgments
This research study was financially supported by the Greek State Scholarship Foundation (IKY Fellowships of Excellence for Postgraduate Studies in Greece–Siemens Program). The authors are grateful to Natalia Tsoukala and Christos Tsoutsias for their contribution to improving the quality of photographic data.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 11 • November 2018
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©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 14, 2017
Accepted: May 17, 2018
Published online: Aug 31, 2018
Published in print: Nov 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Jan 31, 2019
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