Seismic Responses of a Large Unequal-span Underground Subway Station in Liquefiable Soil Using Shaking Table Test

Abstract

ABSTRACT Sand liquefaction is considered to be one of the main causes of severe earthquake damage. The seismic response of large-scale underground structures is mainly controlled by the deformation of surrounding soils, and the large liquefaction-induced lateral displacement poses a serious threat to large underground structures. In this paper, a large-scale shaking table test is performed to simulate the dynamic interaction between liquefiable foundation, diaphragm wall and underground subway station. The results indicate that the interaction mode between soil and underground structure changes significantly with the different liquefaction states of surrounding soil. The underground structure improves the liquefaction resistance of adjacent lateral soils, but significantly reduces the liquefaction resistance of soils located directly below the structure. The development of dynamic pore pressure is related to the seismic intensity, and a significant dissipation of dynamic pore pressure usually occurs after the end of a strong seismic excitation. Moreover, the acceleration response law along the vertical direction has changed significantly within the buried depth of the underground structure. Specifically, the acceleration response of the lateral foundation is inhibited in the absence of liquefaction, but is enhanced in the complete liquefaction. In addition, the liquefaction states of model site also affect the spatial strain response of the underground structure.