Assessment of soil constitutive models for predicting seismic response of sheet pile walls: A LEAP-2022 project study

Abstract

This paper outlines the findings derived from a study conducted within the LEAP-2022 project, focusing on analyzing the seismic response of a sheet-pile retaining structure that supports liquefiable soils. The primary objective is to assess the efficacy of two distinct constitutive models–Manzari-Dafalias (MD) and PM4Sand–following their calibration utilizing element tests conducted on Ottawa-F65 sand. By employing these calibrated models, finite element models are generated to emulate centrifuge experiments. The results indicate that both the MD and PM4Sand models adequately capture the behavior of liquefiable soils and consequent wall displacements. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the significance of accurately calibrating for cyclic stress demands at the wall’s toe and the passive zone to precisely predict wall behavior. It also highlights that number of cycles has a significant effect on simulation results.