Numerical seismic performance assessment and fragility analysis for gravity-type wharves considering the influence of soil liquefaction

Abstract

The gravity-type wharf is generally more vulnerable during earthquakes due to its massive gravity quay wall, especially when located in a liquefiable area. Therefore, this study aims to develop numerical analysis procedure for its seismic performance assessment and fragility analysis considering the influence of soil liquefaction. Firstly, the quantitative damage criteria for gravity-type wharves were introduced and verified by case histories. Then, the finite element (FE) modeling of a gravity quay wall founded on liquefiable ground for seismic response analysis using PLAXIS 2D was suggested. Utilizing this modeling, the earthquake-induced damage cases of two gravity-type wharves in two ports in Taiwan were simulated for validation. The seismic performance of both wharves was further assessed by comparing the analyzed response under design earthquake with the damage criteria. Finally, the procedure of seismic fragility analysis based on massive numerical analysis was proposed. Actual earthquake records were scaled to various seismic intensity levels to serve as input motions. Thus, the relationships between the seismic intensity and the damage probability of a gravity-type wharf corresponding to different damage levels, namely, the fragility curves, can be accordingly obtained. These results benefit the seismic performance design and rapid estimation of possible seismic damage of port facilities.