Seismic performance of a sheet-pile retaining structure in liquefiable soils: Numerical simulations of LEAP-2022 centrifuge tests

Abstract

This paper focuses on the numerical simulations of a sheet-pile retaining structure under liquefaction-induced lateral spreading, using data from LEAP-2022 dynamic centrifuge tests conducted at various facilities. The simulations employ an updated pressure-dependent multi-yield surface constitutive model (i.e., OpenSees PDMY03), incorporating dilatancy, cyclic mobility, and associated shear deformation features. To more accurately represent the liquefaction resistance characteristics of medium to dense Ottawa sands during LEAP-2022, the contractive and dilative rules of the PDMY03 model are updated based on experimental observations. Subsequently, the model parameters are calibrated through a series of stress-controlled cyclic direct simple shear (CDSS) tests to closely match the liquefaction strength curves of Ottawa sand. With these calibrated model parameters, dynamic response analyses of the sheet-pile retaining structure in liquefiable soils are performed, and the computed results are directly compared to the centrifuge experimental data. It is demonstrated that the updated PDMY03 constitutive model, combined with the employed computational framework, has the potential to realistically predict the experimental results of the sheet-pile retaining structure subjected to liquefaction-induced lateral spreading. Overall, this comprehensive approach enables a realistic evaluation of the performance of equivalent sheet-pile retaining structures under conditions of seismically-induced liquefaction, as well as other relevant scenarios.