Interlaboratory studies to evaluate the repeatability of dynamic centrifuge model tests

Abstract

As part of the VELACS (VErification of Liquefaction Analysis Using Centrifuge Studies) Project, a series of dynamic centrifuge model tests were duplicated at different Universities (U.C. Davis, UC Berkeley, Caltech, Cambridge, Colorado, MIT, Princeton, and RPI) to assess the repeatability of the test results and to provide a data base for a Class A (before the event) type prediction of the test results. This paper will present the results obtained on different centrifuges, the evaluation of the repeatability of the results, and discussions on the use fulness of the results for the validation of constitutive models and numerical procedures. The experience and lessons learnt from this practice show that standardization of dynamic centrifuge modeling is very important in order to achieve repeatability of test results. The results resented here are based on the materials published in a Proceedings of the VELACS Symposium