Skip to main content
Intended for healthcare professionals
Restricted access
Research article
First published online January 1, 2016

Influence of Modeling Decisions on Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis of Two Existing Highway Bridges Subjected to Lateral Spreading

Abstract

Three-dimensional finite element models are developed for the approaches of two Chilean bridges. A kinematic loading regime representative of postevent deformations associated with liquefaction-induced lateral spreading is used to analyze the models. Three important aspects of the modeling of this load case are assessed for such structures. First, the bridge deck and associated expansion gap and their effect on the overall response of the bridge–foundation–soil system are considered. The lateral resistance supplied by the bridge deck can play an important role in the general response of the model, and consideration of the expansion gap could lead to distinct pre- and postclosure deformation mechanisms. Second, elastic and elastoplastic constitutive responses in the deep foundations are explored, and the nonlinear nature of the drilled shafts is shown to be of essential importance. Finally, the effects of the inherent three-dimensional characteristics of each bridge are addressed. These effects are shown to play a significant role in the overall response of each bridge, which highlights the need for analytical procedures that consider three-dimensional effects.

Get full access to this article

View all access and purchase options for this article.

References

1. Hamada M., and O’Rourke T. D. Case Studies of Liquefaction and Lifeline Performance During Past Earthquakes—Volume 1: Japanese Case Studies. Technical Report NCEER-92-0001. National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, Buffalo, N.Y., 1992.
2. Youd T. L. Liquefaction-Induced Damage to Bridges. In Transportation Research Record 1411, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1993, pp. 35–41.
3. Berrill J. B., Christensen S. A., Keenan R. P., Okada W., and Pettinga J. R. Case Study of Lateral Spreading Forces on a Piled Foundation. Géotechnique, Vol. 51, No. 6, 2001, pp. 501–517.
4. Arduino P., Ashford S., Assimaki D., Bray J., Eldridge T., Frost D., and Hashash Y. Geo-Engineering Reconnaissance of the 2010 Maule, Chile Earthquake. Report GEER-022. Geoengineering Extreme Events Reconnaissance Association, 2010.
5. Cubrinovski M., Green R., Allen J., Ashford S., Bowman E., Bradley B. A., Cox B., Hutchinson T., Kavazanjian E., Orense R., Pender M., Quigley M., and Wotherspoon L. Geotechnical Reconnaissance of the 2010 Darfield (New Zealand) Earthquake. Report GEER-024. Geoengineering Extreme Events Reconnaissance Association, 2010.
6. Cubrinovski M., Green R. A., and Wotherspoon L. Geotechnical Reconnaissance of the 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquake. Report GEER-027. Geoengineering Extreme Events Reconnaissance Association, 2011.
7. Yen W.-H. P., Chen G., Buckle I., Allen T., Alzamora D., Ger J., and Arias J. G. Post-Earthquake Reconnaissance Report on Transportation Infrastructure: Impact of the February 27, 2010, Offshore Maule Earthquake in Chile. Publication FHWA-HRT-11-030. FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2011.
8. Martin G. R., March M. L., Anderson D. G., Mayes R. L., and Power M. S. Recommended Design Approach for Liquefaction Induced Lateral Spreads. Proceedings of the 3rd National Seismic Conference and Workshop on Bridges and Highways. MCEER-02-SP04. Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research, Buffalo, N.Y., 2002.
9. Boulanger R. W., Chang D., Gulerce U., Brandenberg S. J., and Kutter B. L. Evaluating Pile Pinning Effects on Abutments over Liquefied Ground. In Seismic Performance and Simulation of Pile Foundations in Liquefied and Laterally Spreading Ground (Boulanger R. W. and Tokimatsu K., eds.), ASCE, Reston, Va., 2006, pp. 306–318.
10. Ashford S. A., Boulanger R. W., and Brandenberg S. J. Recommended Design Practice for Pile Foundations in Laterally Spreading Ground. PEER Report 2011/04. Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 2011.
11. McKenna F. T. Object-Oriented Finite Element Programming: Frameworks for Analysis, Algorithms and Parallel Computing. PhD dissertation. University of California, Berkeley, 1997.
12. McKenna F. T., Scott M. H., and Fenves G. L. Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis Software Using Object Composition. Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, Vol. 24, No. 1, 2010, pp. 95–107.
13. Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (OpenSees). Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 2007. http://opensees.berkeley.edu.
14. Elgamal A., Yang Z., Parra E., and Ragheb A. Modeling of Cyclic Mobility in Saturated Cohesionless Soils. International Journal of Plasticity, Vol. 19, No. 6, 2003, pp. 883–905.
15. Prevost J. H. Mathematical Modeling of Monotonic and Cyclic Undrained Clay Behavior. International Journal of Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, Vol. 1, 1977, pp. 195–216.
16. McGann C. R., and Arduino P. Numerical Assessment of Three-Dimensional Foundation Pinning Effects During Lateral Spreading at the Mataquito River Bridge. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Vol. 140, No. 8, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001134.
17. McGann C. R., and Arduino P. Numerical Assessment of the Influence of Foundation Pinning, Deck Resistance, and 3D Site Geometry on the Response of Bridge Foundations to Demands of Liquefaction-Induced Lateral Soil Deformation. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Vol. 79, Part B, 2015, pp. 379–390.
18. McGann C. R., Arduino P., and Mackenzie-Helnwein P. A Stabilized Single-Point Finite Element Formulation for Three-Dimensional Dynamic Analysis of Saturated Soils. Computers and Geotechnics, Vol. 66, 2015, pp. 126–141.
19. Petek K. A. Development and Application of Mixed Beam–Solid Models for Analysis of Soil–Pile Interaction Problems. PhD dissertation. University of Washington, 2006.
20. Cubrinovski M., Haskell J., Winkley A., Robinson K., and Wotherspoon L. Performance of Bridges in Liquefied Deposits During the 2010–2011 Christchurch, New Zealand, Earthquakes. Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, Vol. 28, No. 1, 2014, pp. 24–39.

Cite article

Cite article

Cite article

OR

Download to reference manager

If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice

Share options

Share

Share this article

Share with email
EMAIL ARTICLE LINK
Share on social media

Share access to this article

Sharing links are not relevant where the article is open access and not available if you do not have a subscription.

For more information view the Sage Journals article sharing page.

Information, rights and permissions

Information

Published In

Article first published online: January 1, 2016
Issue published: January 2016

Rights and permissions

© 2016 National Academy of Sciences.
Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Alborz Ghofrani
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 201 More Hall, Box 352700, Seattle, WA 98195
Christopher R. McGann
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University, 405 Spokane Street, Sloan 101, Box 642910, Pullman, WA 99164
Pedro Arduino
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, 201 More Hall, Box 352700, Seattle, WA 98195

Notes

C. R. McGann, [email protected].

Metrics and citations

Metrics

Journals metrics

This article was published in Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board.

VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICS

Article usage*

Total views and downloads: 26

*Article usage tracking started in December 2016


Altmetric

See the impact this article is making through the number of times it’s been read, and the Altmetric Score.
Learn more about the Altmetric Scores



Articles citing this one

Receive email alerts when this article is cited

Web of Science: 0

Crossref: 4

  1. Bridge in Narrow Waterway: Seismic Response and Liquefaction-Induced D...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  2. Parametric Assessment of Equivalent Static Procedure Accounting for Fo...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  3. Aspects of bridge‐ground seismic response and liquefaction‐induced def...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  4. Bridge Foundation Pinning Resistance Implied by Equivalent Static Anal...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar

Figures and tables

Figures & Media

Tables

View Options

Get access

Access options

If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:


Alternatively, view purchase options below:

Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.

Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.

View options

PDF/ePub

View PDF/ePub