The use of FLAC for the seismic evaluation of a concrete gravity dam including dam-water-sediments-foundation rock interaction

Seismic safety of 65m-high Licodia Eubea gravity dam located in Southeastern Sicily (Italy) has been assessed by means of advanced dynamic analyses of the tallest cross-section of the dam. The analyses were performed with two-dimensional, plane strain, finite difference FLAC code, taking into consideration simultaneously the dam-water-sediments-foundation interaction. The analyses have been carried out for an earthquake scenario corresponding to the Collapse Limit State (CLS), using a set of seven natural accelerograms for the simulations (both vertical and horizontal components). The physical and mechanical parameters of the concrete and foundation rock were obtained from in situ and laboratory tests campaigns. A validation of the dynamic model in terms of fundamental mode vibration periods of the dam was carried out first. Then, linear analyses allowed to understand whether nonlinear analyses were necessary. From nonlinear analyses results, Licodia Eubea dam has been found to have an acceptable margin of safety for CLS. The implementation of nonlinearity at the dam-foundation interface reduced the tensile stress within the structure. The dam might experience limited sliding along its base, but its structural integrity would be preserved

The PoliTO–UniRoma1 database of cyclic and dynamic laboratory tests: assessment of empirical predictive models

The soil nonlinear hysteretic behaviour is usually described, in the moderate strain range, through the shear modulus reduction and material damping ratio (MRD) curves. In common practice, in absence of specific laboratory tests, the curves are estimated by employing empirical regression models. Such predictive models, typically calibrated on large experimental datasets, correlate the soil response to its physical properties. This research fits within this context, presenting a comprehensive database of cyclic and dynamic laboratory tests conducted on natural Italian soils. The database, publicly available as supplementary data of the paper, contains the results of the tests conducted by the geotechnical laboratories of the Politecnico di Torino (Turin, Italy) and the Sapienza Università di Roma (Rome, Italy) over the past 30 years. The experimental data are employed to assess the performance of some widely used empirical models in predicting the MRD curves of natural uncemented fine-grained soils, emphasizing the importance of using an independent dataset for conducting a reliable statistical analysis. The results show that the use of many soil parameters as proxies for predicting the soil response does not necessarily lead to an improvement in the performance of the model. Therefore, according to Occam’s razor principle, simple models are to be preferred

Numerical and experimental analysis of the leaning Tower of Pisa under earthquake

Twenty years have passed from the most recent studies about the dynamic behavior of the leaning Tower of Pisa. Significant changes have occurred in the meantime, the most important ones concerning the soil-structure interaction. From 1999 to 2001, the foundation of the monument was consolidated through under-excavation, and the "Catino" at the basement was rigidly connected to the foundation. Moreover, in light of the recent advances in the field of earthquake engineering, past studies about the Tower must be revised. Therefore, the present research aims at providing new data and results about the structural response of the Tower under earthquake. As regards the experimental assessment of the Tower, the dynamic response of the structure recorded during some earthquakes has been analyzed in the time- and frequency-domain. An Array 2D test has been performed in the Square of Miracles to identify a soil profile suitable for site response analyses, thus allowing the definition of the free-field seismic inputs at the base of the Tower. On the other hand, a synthetic evaluation of the seismic input in terms of response spectra has been done by means of a hybrid approach that combines Probabilistic and Deterministic Seismic Hazard Assessment methods. Furthermore, natural accelerograms have been selected and scaled properly. A finite element model that takes into account the inclination of the structure has been elaborated, and it has been updated taking into account the available experimental results. Finally, current numerical and experimental efforts for enhancing the seismic characterization of the Tower have been illustrated

Site response analyses for complex geological and morphological conditions: relevant case-histories from 3rd level seismic microzonation in Central Italy

The paper presents the results of 5 case studies on complex site e ects selected within the project for the level 3 seismic microzonation of several municipalities of Central Italy dam- aged by the 2016 seismic sequence. The case studies are characterized by di erent geo- logical and morphological con gurations: Monte San Martino is located along a hill slope, Montedinove and Arquata del Tronto villages are located at ridge top whereas Capitignano and Norcia lie in correspondence of sediment- lled valleys. Peculiarities of the sites are constituted by the presence of weathered/jointed rock mass, fault zone, shear wave veloc- ity inversion, complex surface and buried morphologies. These factors make the de ni- tion of the subsoil model and the evaluation of the local response particularly complex and di cult to ascertain. For each site, after the discussion of the subsoil model, the results of site response numerical analyses are presented in terms of ampli cation factors and acceleration response spectra in selected points. The physical phenomena governing the site response have also been investigated at each site by comparing 1D and 2D numerical analyses. Implications are deduced for seismic microzonation studies in similar geological and morphological conditions.Published5741–57775T. Sismologia, geofisica e geologia per l'ingegneria sismicaJCR Journa

Leaning Tower of Pisa:recent advances on dynamic response and soil structure interaction

The Leaning Bell Tower of Pisa has been included in the list of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 1987. Over the last 20 years, the Tower has successfully undergone a number of interventions to reduce its inclination. The Tower has also been equipped with a sensor network for seismic monitoring. In this study, preliminary results on the dynamic behavior of the monument are presented, including a review of historical seismicity in the region, identification of vibrational modes, definition of seismic input, site response analysis, and seismic response accounting for soil-structure interaction. This includes calibration of the dynamic impedances of the foundation to match the measured natural frequencies. The study highlights the importance of soil-structure interaction in the survival of the Tower during a number of strong seismic events since the middle ages