Dynamic Characterization of Open-ended Pipe Piles in Marine Environment

This chapter is focused on the experimental investigations that can be carried out to dynamically characterize open-ended pipe piles in marine environment. Different test typologies, such as impact load test, free vibration test, forced vibration test, and ambient vibration test, are presented and described with the purpose to provide the right tools to analyze the dynamic behavior, at both small and large strains, of single piles or a system of piles. The appropriate instrumentation, with the suitable protection from marine environment and pile driving installation procedure, is also illustrated. Furthermore, the most common signal processing techniques useful for handling the experimental raw data are addressed together with the analysis techniques for the evaluation of the modal parameters: natural frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes. Finally, a part of the experimental campaign carried out by the authors on near-shore open-ended pipe piles is reported as a case study

Field Tests on Micropiles Under Dynamic Lateral Loading

Abstract Micropiles are increasingly used as foundation support of new buildings in seismic areas as well as for the seismic retrofitting of structures that have experienced seismic damage. Hence, it is essential to enhance the knowledge of the dynamic behavior of micropiles under horizontal loading. In the present paper, first steps of an extensive experimental study carried out on two vertical micropiles in alluvial silty soil are reported. One of the vertical micropiles is injected throughout valves a-manchettes placed along the steel core of the shaft, while the other one is simply grouted. In particular, experimental results of ambient vibration tests and impact load tests are reported and a comparison between the behavior of the vertical injected and non-injected micropiles is provided. Experimental data of impact load tests are also compared with results obtained from an analytical model

Different Measuring Methods for Estimating the Hydraulic Conductivity on the Shallow Aquifer Along a Stretch of the Rimini Coast

Abstract The determination of hydraulic conductivity is a relevant topic for the characterization of widely-extended sandy coastal deposits. In the present work, the hydraulic conductivity of the Rimini Northern coastal deposits is evaluated through different procedures. Hydraulic conductivity is estimated from in situ and laboratory tests on small soil volumes, and from empirical correlations based on particle size distribution and in-situ tests. Relying on the variability ranges of the estimated parameters, a preliminary numerical water flow model of the testing area has been developed. Results can be considered as predictive of the hydraulic behavior of large soil volumes in the investigated area

Preface to special issue on modelling and assessment of soil-structure interaction effects on the dynamics of structures

none4siCarbonari, S; Dezi, F; Padron, LA; Zimmaro, PCarbonari, S; Dezi, F; Padron, La; Zimmaro,

Impact of Ground Motion Duration and Soil Non-Linearity on the Seismic Performance of Single Piles

Pile foundations strongly influence the performance of supported structures and bridges during an earthquake. In case of strong earthquake ground motion, soft soils may be subjected to large deformation manifesting aspects typical of the non-linear behaviour such as material yielding, gapping and cyclic degradation. Therefore, nonlinear soil-pile interaction models should be able to capture these effects and improve the prediction of the actual seismic loading transferred from the foundation to the superstructure. In this paper, a beam on nonlinear Winkler foundation (BNWF) model is used, which can simulate cyclic soil degradation/hardening, soil and structural yielding, slack zone development and radiation damping. Incremental Dynamic Analyses (IDAs) are performed to evaluate the effects of Ground Motion Duration (GMD) and soil non-linearity on the performance of single fixed-head floating piles. Various homogeneous and bilayer soil profiles are considered, including saturated clay and sand in either fully dry or saturated state and with different levels of compaction. In order to evaluate the effect of nonlinearity on the response, the results of the nonlinear analyses are compared with those obtained from linear soil-pile analysis in terms of bending moment envelope. Results show the relevance of considering the GMD on the performance of the single pile especially when founded on saturated soils. For low intensities and dry sandy soils, the linear soil-pile interaction model can be used for obtaining reliable results

Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering Aspects of the 2012 Emilia-Romagna Earthquake (Italy)

On May 20, 2012 an earthquake of magnitude ML=5.9 struck the Emilia Romagna Region of Italy and a little portion of Lombardia Region. Successive earthquakes occurred on May 29, 2012 with ML=5.8 and ML=5.3. The earthquakes caused 27 deaths, of which 13 on industrial buildings. The damage was considerable. 12,000 buildings were severely damaged; big damages occurred also to monuments and cultural heritage of Italy, causing the collapse of 147 campaniles. The damage is estimated in about 5-6 billions of euro. To the damage caused to people and buildings, must be summed the indirect damage due to loss of industrial production and to the impossibility to operate for several months. The indirect damage could be bigger than the direct damage caused by the earthquake. The resilience of the damaged cities to the damage to the industrial buildings and the lifelines was good enough, because some industries built a smart campus to start again to operate in less of one month and structural and geotechnical guidelines were edited to start with the recovering the damage industrial buildings. In the paper a damage survey is presented and linked with the ground effects. Among these, soil amplification and liquefaction phenomena are analyzed, basing on the soil properties evaluation by field and laboratory tests. Particular emphasis is devoted to the damaged suffered by the industrial buildings and to the aspects of the remedial work linked with the shallow foundation inadequacy and to the liquefaction mitigation effects

Local site effects and incremental damage of buildings during the 2016 Central Italy earthquake sequence

The Central Italy earthquake sequence initiated on 24 August 2016 with a moment magnitude M6.1 event followed by a M5.9 and a M6.5 earthquake, that caused significant damage and loss of life in the town of Amatrice and other nearby villages and hamlets. The significance of this sequence led to a major international reconnaissance effort to thoroughly examine the effects of this disaster. Specifically, this paper presents evidences of strong local site effects (i.e., amplification of seismic waves due to stratigraphic and topographic effects that leads to damage concentration in certain areas). It also examines the damage patterns observed along the entire sequence of events in association with the spatial distribution of ground motion intensity with emphasis on the clearly distinct performance of reinforced concrete and masonry structures under multiple excitations. The paper concludes with a critical assessment of past retrofit measures efficiency and a series of lessons learned as per the behavior of structures to a sequence of strong earthquake events

Engineering Reconnaissance Following the October 2016 Central Italy Earthquakes - Version 2

Between August and November 2016, three major earthquake events occurred in Central Italy. The first event, with M6.1, took place on 24 August 2016, the second (M5.9) on 26 October, and the third (M6.5) on 30 October 2016. Each event was followed by numerous aftershocks. As shown in Figure 1.1, this earthquake sequence occurred in a gap between two earlier damaging events, the 1997 M6.1 Umbria-Marche earthquake to the north-west and the 2009 M6.1 L’Aquila earthquake to the south-east. This gap had been previously recognized as a zone of elevated risk (GdL INGV sul terremoto di Amatrice, 2016). These events occurred along the spine of the Apennine Mountain range on normal faults and had rake angles ranging from -80 to -100 deg, which corresponds to normal faulting. Each of these events produced substantial damage to local towns and villages. The 24 August event caused massive damages to the following villages: Arquata del Tronto, Accumoli, Amatrice, and Pescara del Tronto. In total, there were 299 fatalities (www.ilgiornale.it), generally from collapses of unreinforced masonry dwellings. The October events caused significant new damage in the villages of Visso, Ussita, and Norcia, although they did not produce fatalities, since the area had largely been evacuated. The NSF-funded Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) association, with co-funding from the B. John Garrick Institute for the Risk Sciences at UCLA and the NSF I/UCRC Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) at BYU, mobilized a US-based team to the area in two main phases: (1) following the 24 August event, from early September to early October 2016, and (2) following the October events, between the end of November and the beginning of December 2016. The US team worked in close collaboration with Italian researchers organized under the auspices of the Italian Geotechnical Society, the Italian Center for Seismic Microzonation and its Applications, the Consortium ReLUIS, Centre of Competence of Department of Civil Protection and the DIsaster RECovery Team of Politecnico di Torino. The objective of the Italy-US GEER team was to collect and document perishable data that is essential to advance knowledge of earthquake effects, which ultimately leads to improved procedures for characterization and mitigation of seismic risk. The Italy-US GEER team was multi-disciplinary, with expertise in geology, seismology, geomatics, geotechnical engineering, and structural engineering. The composition of the team was largely the same for the two mobilizations, particularly on the Italian side. Our approach was to combine traditional reconnaissance activities of on-ground recording and mapping of field conditions, with advanced imaging and damage detection routines enabled by state-of-the-art geomatics technology. GEER coordinated its reconnaissance activities with those of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), although the EERI mobilization to the October events was delayed and remains pending as of this writing (April 2017). For the August event reconnaissance, EERI focused on emergency response and recovery, in combination with documenting the effectiveness of public policies related to seismic retrofit. As such, GEER had responsibility for documenting structural damage patterns in addition to geotechnical effects. This report is focused on the reconnaissance activities performed following the October 2016 events. More information about the GEER reconnaissance activities and main findings following the 24 August 2016 event, can be found in GEER (2016). The objective of this document is to provide a summary of our findings, with an emphasis of documentation of data. In general, we do not seek to interpret data, but rather to present it as thoroughly as practical. Moreover, we minimize the presentation of background information already given in GEER (2016), so that the focus is on the effects of the October events. As such, this report and GEER (2016) are inseparable companion documents. Similar to reconnaissance activities following the 24 August 2016 event, the GEER team investigated earthquake effects on slopes, villages, and major infrastructure. Figure 1.2 shows the most strongly affected region and locations described subsequently pertaining to: 1. Surface fault rupture; 2. Recorded ground motions; 3. Landslides and rockfalls; 4. Mud volcanoes; 5. Investigated bridge structures; 6. Villages and hamlets for which mapping of building performance was performed

Reconnaissance of 2016 Central Italy Earthquake Sequence

The Central Italy earthquake sequence nominally began on 24 August 2016 with a M6.1 event on a normal fault that produced devastating effects in the town of Amatrice and several nearby villages and hamlets. A major international response was undertaken to record the effects of this disaster, including surface faulting, ground motions, landslides, and damage patterns to structures. This work targeted the development of high-value case histories useful to future research. Subsequent events in October 2016 exacerbated the damage in previously affected areas and caused damage to new areas in the north, particularly the relatively large town of Norcia. Additional reconnaissance after a M6.5 event on 30 October 2016 documented and mapped several large landslide features and increased damage states for structures in villages and hamlets throughout the region. This paper provides an overview of the reconnaissance activities undertaken to document and map these and other effects, and highlights valuable lessons learned regarding faulting and ground motions, engineering effects, and emergency response to this disaster