An analytical model for liquefaction-induced manhole uplifting

Abstract

Liquefaction-induced manhole uplifting typically occurs in urban areas. In some field surveys, the uplifting phenomenon may damage lifelines and obstruct the passage of rescue transportation. The mechanism of manhole uplifting has been proposed and developed to rapidly evaluate the extent of manhole uplifting using the limit equilibrium method. However, owing to the lack of an energy-dissipation process, this method can only predict the maximum uplifting displacement of the manholes in the final stage. This study aims to develop an analytical model to describe uplifting displacement and evolution during shaking. The analytical model based on the kinetic relationship plays a major role in the evaluation of the time-dependent mechanical properties of manholes, especially when we consider the viscous-damping force. Three series of centrifuge modeling tests to study the manhole uplifting behavior were conducted to validate the proposed model. The proposed analytical model shows promising potential to serve as an intermediate tool for evaluating manhole uplifting while maintaining simplicity in practical cases.