The Problem

Many regions of the globe are subjected to earthquakes and as such any geotechnical structure must be functional under extreme shaking events. Earthquakes can result in the generation of excess pore-water pressure which reduces effective strength and can lead to failure. Dynamic shaking can cause collapse of certain types of soils and dynamic inertial forces can in some cases result in permanent deformation. Loss of strength due to pore-pressure changes and collapse can also result in permanent plastic deformations.

The Solution

GeoStudio’s QUAKE/W can be integrated with the entire suite of models to allow for dynamic analysis of earth structures. Depending on the analysis options, it may be desired to perform a transient Newmark type analysis to determine deformations due to inertial forces. If there is generation of excess pore-water pressure then dissipation of that pressure can be considered within a seepage or stress-deformation model. Regions in which there has been a loss of strength and collapse can be identified and permanent plastic deformations can be estimated. Structural supports such as tie-back anchors and sheet pile walls can be included in the dynamic analysis.