Applying modified discontinuous deformation analysis to assess the dynamic response of sites containing discontinuities

Abstract

The accurate consideration of seismic wave propagation through discontinuous media is crucial in rock engineering. Discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA), with the ability to study discontinuity behaviors, is modified by incorporating a seismic input method based on a viscous boundary and the free-field theory. After confirming the accuracy of the modified DDA using several verification examples, two practical applications, (1) the extreme ground motion during the 2008 Iwate–Miyagi earthquake, Japan, and (2) the Donghekou landslide induced by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, China, are simulated and reproduced by the modified DDA. The results show that seismic wave propagation through discontinuous media can be accurately simulated by the modified DDA. Further, the simulation results indicate that discontinuities are critical in the dynamic response of structures. Conclusively, the modified DDA provides an alternative approach for analyzing the dynamic response of sites containing discontinuities.