Wave-induced liquefaction analysis of mildly sloping sandy seabed

Abstract

Marine structures are commonly situated near the mildly sloping sandy seabed characterized by the slope angles (α) not exceeding 10°. The seabed liquefaction can be triggered due to the generation of the excess pore water pressure (EPWP), posing a threat to the stability of marine structures. This study focuses on the analysis of wave-induced liquefaction in the mildly sloping (MS) sandy seabed. A dynamic poro-elasto-plastic seabed model is developed to simulate the behavior of the MS sandy seabed under wave loading. The results indicates that the loading cycle required to trigger the initial liquefaction decreased as the position moved from the toe towards the crest of the MS sandy seabed. The amplitude of shear stress increases with the loading cycle and tends to increase with growing α before liquefaction, resulting in a slower accumulation of EPWP with larger α. Both the horizontal and vertical displacements induced by wave action reach the maximum at the crest of the sloping seabed. Notably, the horizontal displacement is much greater than the vertical displacement in the seabed under wave action. The displacement of the MS sandy seabed depends on not only the shear stress amplitude developed in the soils but also the accumulation of EPWP required to trigger the liquefaction in the seabed.