Pile-supported Wharf Research Articles

Study of Deformation Performance and Seismic Damage on Pile-Supported Wharf by Shaking Table Test

Combined with the research results of shaking table test, through the deformation performance of steel pipe pile foundation, the seismic damage and seismic performance of steel pipe high pile wharf are evaluated, and the appropriate evaluation method is given. By setting the numerical analytical model of multi working condition steel pipe high pile wharf with different water depth, different pile types and different pile diameters, the limit displacement of the pile in the soil under different ground motions is calculated. The calculated results show that, the plasticity ratio (defined as μ = δu/δy ) of the structural system of steel pipe high pile wharf ranges from 1.5 to 3.0; and the fitting relationship between plasticity ratio μ and the diameter thickness ratio D/t was obtained. The fitting relationship is tested by the existing experimental research results. The results show that the given fitting relationship can be in good agreement with the experimental results in the range of ± 15%. On the basis of this fitting relationship, taking the diameter thickness ratio as the basic parameter, a seismic damage evaluation method of steel pipe high pile wharf structure based on deformation performance is proposed.

Seismic response and correlation analysis of a pile-supported wharf to near-fault pulse-like ground motions

Seismic response and correlation analysis of a pile-supported wharf to near-fault pulse-like ground motions

The role of climate change and corrosion modeling strategy in dynamic response of pile-supported wharves

This paper explores the fragility of pile-supported wharves to environmental hazards, notably climate change and corrosion, and underscores the critical need to understand the interplay between these factors when assessing structural safety. The research advocates for comprehensive methodologies that encompass climate change effects, aging, and time-dependent deterioration in evaluating the seismic fragility functions of pile-supported wharves. An examination of aging and seismic effects is performed on a representative pile-supported wharf at designated time intervals. This study highlights the pronounced impacts of climate change and corrosion on the structural integrity of concrete and steel in marine environments. Specifically, it considers effects such as sea level rise, increased temperatures, and heightened relative humidity on pile-supported wharves. Additionally, three corrosion pitting configurations in prestressed strands with and without climate change considerations are analyzed to determine their influence on the strength and ductility of materials, limit states, and ultimately, on the fragility curves. The findings indicate that climate change significantly exacerbates the corrosion of materials in pile-supported wharves, and increases failure probability. The relative increase in corrosion rate after 50 years due to climate change is found to be 94%.

Investigating the influence of an approach bridge on a pile-supported wharf at a liquefiable site under horizontal and vertical seismic excitations

The approach bridge of the pile-supported wharf is an important structure that connects the pile foundation platform and the land, and it has a significant impact on the safety of the high-pile wharf. However, the influence of an approach bridge on the seismic dynamic response of a pile-supported wharf has often been neglected in previous studies. Besides, the excess pore water pressure (Δu) generated under combined vertical and horizontal seismic components is typically greater than that induced by unidirectional excitations, which may further impact the dynamic response of pile-supported wharf. Firstly, this study developed a numerical method for simulating the approach bridge of a pile-supported wharf. Secondly, the three-dimensional finite element model of a pile-supported wharf with an approach bridge is established to investigate the dynamic response during horizontal and vertical seismic components. Additionally, the effects of seismic frequency and relative density of liquefied layer on the dynamic response of pile-supported wharf were also studied. By comparing with the experimental results, the numerical model effectively simulated the overall response of the pile-supported wharf and the liquefaction behavior of the surrounding soil. During high-frequency earthquakes, the influence of the approach bridge on the dynamic response of the pile-supported wharf is minimal, whereas it has a more significant impact during low-frequency earthquakes. Furthermore, vertical seismic components significantly amplify the effect of approach bridge on the lateral displacement and internal forces of piles. The effect of the approach bridge on the lateral displacement and internal force of the pile decreases with the increase of the relative density of the liquefaction layer.

Interaction characteristics between the large ship-rubber fenders-wharf structure in deep-water considering the flexibility of the wharf structure

High pile-supported wharf structures in offshore deep water have significant flexibility due to long free ends and large slenderness ratios of the pile bodies, resulting in substantial deformation of the pile body under kinds of loads. In the design of this new type of wharves, it is expected to consider the characteristic of elastic deformation of pile body absorbing a portion of the ship impact energy reasonably. However, the existing calculation method still adopts the theoretical formulas of traditional wharf structures, failure to incorporate this advanced design concept fully. In order to solve this, firstly, a comprehensive three-dimensional numerical simulation model encompassing large ship, rubber fenders and wharf structure, was developed using Ansys/LS-Dyna, and the calculation model was validated against the existing research results. Subsequently, dynamic response characteristics of wharf structures during the normal berthing of ships were examined meticulously, and the variations in absorption energy and reaction forces of rubber fenders and wharf structures were analyzed systematically. And then the analysis results were compared with previous research, the limitations of the existing design code for wharf structures were discussed as well. Finally, the findings demonstrate that peak values of absorption energy and energy transfer times increase with the increase of ship loading capacities. And the elastic deformation of the wharf structure indeed absorbs considerable partial of the impact energy effectively, with about 30 % for conditions in this study, leading to lower impact forces acted on the wharf structure. Moreover, the maximum pile top displacement of the wharf structure is also smaller than that reported in the existing literature in the same load condition, indicating that considering the structural flexibility in the design of this new type of wharf structure is more in line with reality, and it is more reasonable and economical as well.

Quasi-Static Model Test of Pile-Supported Wharf under Cyclic Lateral Loading

The pile-supported wharf (PSW) is one of the most common structures in harbor engineering. To investigate the dynamic response characteristics of the PSW, a quasi-static model test of a PSW–ground system under cyclic lateral loading is conducted. The deformation and damage processes of piles and the sand stratum are observed and obtained. The hysteresis characteristics of the PSW–ground system and the response characteristics of piles are systematically explored. The strain energy of the pile group on the sloping ground is calculated and analyzed. The results show that there are two peak bending moments on the pile, and the maximum one occurs at the pile top. The pile embedded depth and the loading direction strongly affect the strain energy distribution of the pile group. Under downslope direction loading, the center piles have the largest strain energy percentage. The strain energy extends from the center piles to the outside piles with the increase in loading displacement amplitude. The test results indicate that the landside pile and center pile should be strengthened during seismic design.

Seismic performance assessment of a retrofitted pile-supported wharf considering soil-cement uncertainties using artificial neural network

Seismic fragility analysis is an effective method to evaluate the seismic performance of retrofitted wharf systems affected by the uncertainty of soil-cement strength. Nevertheless, fragility analysis usually consumes a large consumption of computational power. In this study, seismic fragility analysis using the artificial neural network (ANN) for the retrofitted wharf, considering the aleatory uncertainty of soil-cement strength and the epistemic uncertainty of the ANN, is carried out; On this basis, the fragility surface for two types of damage limit states considering the uncertainty of soil-cement strength is obtained. It was found that: (1) overall, the soil-cement strengthening strategy is effective for improving the seismic safety of wharf systems, however, the strengthening effect is limited, especially under strong earthquakes, will be further weakened; (2) ANN can effectively predict the maximum seismic response of retrofitted pile-supported wharves, so as to quickly carry out seismic fragility analysis. Examples show that the prediction method has good generalization; and (3) the fragility surface model considers the aleatory uncertainty of soil-cement strength and the epistemic uncertainty of the ANN, which makes the performance-based evaluation of retrofitted pile-supported wharves more comprehensive.

Simplified Method for Nonlinear Seismic Response Analysis of Corroded Pile-Supported Wharf

Fiber-based finite element analysis (FB-FEA) has been widely recognized for its ability to reproduce experimental results and is also a reliable method for evaluating the nonlinear seismic response of pile-supported wharves (PSWs). Design practice often employs frame analysis (FA) due to its easy implementation. To precisely reproduce the nonlinear seismic response of PSW using FA, it is necessary to configure mechanical properties such as the hinge property correctly. However, it is unclear whether the hinge properties proposed in previous studies can be applied to PSWs with spun piles. In this study, a novel FA method was developed to investigate the nonlinear seismic response of PSWs with corroded spun piles considering PC bar area reduction, deteriorated material properties, the bending stiffness reduction factor, and the moment–curvature relationship of the spun pile. The nonlinear seismic response of corroded PSWs was determined by performing pushover analysis using three methods: FA using the method of the previous study (FA-1), the proposed FA method (FA-2), and FB-FEA. As regards PSW foundations, vertical pile and batter pile configurations were considered. The pushover analysis results were compared in terms of several parameters, such as the natural period, plastic hinge formation, and load capacity of the corroded PSWs. The FA-2 results agreed very well with the FB-FEA results, while the FA-1 results were less precise with respect to the natural periods and load capacities of corroded PSWs. The results indicated that the bending stiffness reduction factor, moment–curvature relationship, and axial load–bending moment (P–M) capacity of the corroded spun piles should be appropriately defined. Corrosion had greater negative impacts on the compressive axial load and bending moment capacities of the spun pile than on its tensile axial load capacity.

A multiscale optimization methodology for cyclic elastoplastic performance of beam-pile joint member in pile-supported wharf

A material-member-structure multiscale optimization methodology, which can be utilized for improving the elastoplastic behaviour of the beam-pile joint member in pile-supported wharf under cyclic loading, was developed on the base of the application of high-specific stiffness material. Based on the representative volume element (RVE) method, the parameterized relations between the mesoscale phases (e.g., steel fibers, interfacial transition zone, and matrix) and macroscale homogenized elastoplasticity of ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC) reinforced with steel fibers were obtained under periodic boundary conditions. The physical equivalence relation between material scale and member scale was established by utilizing the refined constitutive model with the macroscopic mechanical parameters and exponential decay damage evolution factors. UHPC material property tests and cyclic loading tests of small-scale beam-pile joint specimens were performed respectively, and the results were analyzed and utilized to validate the numerical model and multiscale optimization method. Using the computational platform ABAQUS, the cyclic elastoplastic performances of the novel beam-pile joint members were evaluated numerically by pseudo-static hysteretic loading. As an illustration, a multiscale modelling approach for the pile-supported wharf frame system was presented and employed to assess the seismic performance improvement through the optimization of the beam-pile joint members. The coupled solution of refined member damage and large-scale structural bearing capacity was realized by utilizing the deformation coordination condition and force balance equation, which bridges the member scale and structure scale. This study aims to provide a reference for future design and optimization of the joint members in marine frame structures, to enhance cyclic bearing capacities and reduce reinforcement consumptions.

Seismic response analysis of pile-supported wharf under three types of near-fault ground motion

Near-fault pulse-like ground motions exhibit distinct properties, such as forward-directivity and fling-step effects. It is necessary to study the seismic response characteristics of the pile-supported wharf (PSW) under different near-fault ground motions. In this study, thirty near-fault ground motions were utilized as input motions, including forward-directivity, fling-step and non-pulse ground motions. A three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear finite element (FE) model was created to simulate the PSW structure. The seismic response (displacement, bending moment, and acceleration) of the PSW structure under 30 ground motions with peak ground acceleration (PGA), effective peak acceleration (EPA), improved effective peak acceleration (IEPA), peak ground velocity (PGV) and effective peak velocity (EPV) scaling were calculated and compared. The simulation results demonstrate that the PSW structure responds more significantly under two types of near-fault pulse-like ground motion. For near-fault pulse-like ground motions, PGV scaling is better for studying displacement/bending moment response of PSW structure than others. EPA scaling is suitable for studying the acceleration response of PSW structure.

Experimental study on dynamic response of pile-supported wharf under wave and ship berthing collision

Pile-supported wharf is widely used in deep-water port engineering, which is inevitably subject to joint action of wave and ship berthing collision in marine environment. The evaluation of dynamic response of pile-supported wharf under wave and berthing collision is particularly essential for the design of deep-water port infrastructures. In this study, a wave flume experiment was carried out to investigate the dynamic response of pile-supported wharf embedded in a saturated sand stratum under a given wave and a three-stage pendulum steel ball collision. The pendulum collision was applied at the corner and edge midpoint of the wharf deck, respectively. A variety of representative responses are explored, including time histories of acceleration, displacement, hydrodynamic pressure, pore water pressure, and strain, which characterize the important aspects of dynamic behavior of pile-supported wharf-ground system. Acceleration and displacement of deck as well as acceleration of sand stratum are dominated by the berthing collision; hydrodynamic pressure on piles and pore water pressure of sand stratum are controlled by the wave action; and strain and bending moment on piles are depended on the joint action of wave and collision. It should be noted that dynamic response characteristics of pile-supported wharf will change significantly due to the decreasing of pile effective buried depth near berths induced by the berthing collision energy accumulation. Furthermore, pile group effects including wave scour around piles, collision energy propagation in a sand stratum, and peak bending moment on piles are explored. For comparison, dynamic response of a single pile-ground system and free field are also discussed. Dynamic response of sand stratum around single pile induced by berthing collision on wharf deck is greater than that of free field at the same distance. Experiment techniques and insights from this study may be of significance to the design and maintenance of pile-supported wharves.

Numerical modeling of a pile-supported wharf subjected to liquefaction-induced lateral ground deformations

Fully-coupled nonlinear dynamic analysis is increasingly used for assessing the seismic performance of pile-supported wharf structures subjected to liquefaction-induced lateral ground deformations. Several numerical challenges exist for analysis of this highly nonlinear soil-structure interaction, which require robust, yet practical, solutions that are validated with experimental data. This study presents a numerical model of a pile-supported wharf and evaluates the applicability of a soil constitutive model, and modeling assumptions and methods by using recorded data from a well-instrumented, large-scale centrifuge test. The objectives of this study include: (a) evaluating the performance of a recently developed pressure-dependent multi-yield surface constitutive soil model (PDMY03) to simulate the behavior of a liquefiable sand (b) assessing the effectiveness of a soil–pile interaction modeling approach in capturing the kinematic displacement demands on piles from a laterally spreading ground, and (c) evaluating the effectiveness and limitations of the 2D numerical model in approximating the 3D behavior of a wharf structure supported by multiple rows of piles, including the dynamic response of the centrifuge container. The implications of these assumptions and lessons learned from this study provide guidance for researcher modelers and practitioners for numerical modeling of similar soil–structure systems.

Response characteristic of crane-wharf interaction system: Numerical simulation and global sensitivity analysis

Crane, an important platform to carry and move cargo in the ports, can evidently affect the overall response of pile-supported wharf system. In many earlier analytical studies, the crane was simply represented by a lumped mass. Such modeling is unable to realistically replicate the salient response characteristics of crane-wharf interaction system. To investigate such interaction effects, a three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of a typical crane-wharf system is developed. As such, the static/dynamic response of pile-supported wharf with/without crane are systematically studied and directly compared. In addition, global sensitivity analysis is conducted to explore the effects of input parameter uncertainties on global response of crane-wharf system. From the computed results, it is shown that: (1) both the static and dynamic response are considerably dependent on the crane-wharf structure as an integral global system; (2) the bending moment and displacement of pile are more sensitive to the friction angle of soil stratum near pile tip; and (3) the interaction effect among various uncertainty parameters becomes more significant with consideration of crane. Overall, the 3D FE analysis technique and the derived insights provide a useful reference and guidance for evaluation of similar crane-wharf interaction system under static/dynamic loading conditions.

Centrifuge performance of LCSM wall reinforced pile-supported wharf subjected to yard load-induced marine slope soil movement

Lattice cement soil mixing (LCSM) walls are constructed to relief the marine slope soil movement that will trigger failure of the pile-supported wharf, the structural performance and pile-soil interactions after the LCSM implementation are major concerns. This paper investigated motion modes, load-displacement relations, soil and pore pressures, and bending moments of pile-supported wharfs with LCSM walls subjected to yard load-induced slope soil movement via centrifuge modeling. Results showed that the LCSM wall tilted to compress the soil and pile, inducing the tilting of the wharf. The lateral structural displacement was effectively restricted by the LCSM wall compared with that of a nonreinforced wharf, but the LCSM wall was not superior to the other lattice wall type with legs in limiting the lateral structural displacement, and the deep LCSM wall worked better at larger soil movement. The rear piles were evidently affected by slope soil movement and were compressed in the middle part. Soil pressures generally increased with increasing yard loads, whereas their distributions were deeply affected by different LCSM wall depths. Pore pressures were greater around the tilting LCSM wall because of larger soil shear areas but dissipated when soil movement stopped. Bending moment distributions indicated evident waterside curvatures in rear piles, whereas waterside curvatures occurred in the upper part and landside curvatures occurred in the lower part in front and middle piles, the effects of LCSM wall types and depth on bending moment distributions were tremendous.

Fuzzy optimization for ground motion intensity measures to characterize the response of the pile-supported wharf in liquefiable soils

In the Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering (PBEE) framework of Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center, the structural seismic responses are usually expressed by probabilistic seismic demand models (PSDMs), which provide a representative relation between ground motion intensity measures (IMs) and engineering demand parameters (EDPs). Since the degree of uncertainty of PSDMs is dependent on the IMs used, the selection of optimal IM is very beneficial to enhance the credibility and ultimately contributes to a reliable decision. PSDMs and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method are used to select the most optimal IM for the pile-supported wharf in liquefiable soils in this study. The finite element model is calibrated first to verify the model validation. Furthermore, 100 real ground motions are applied to the calibrated model as earthquake inputs. Four parameters are used as the pile-supported wharf EDPs. A total of 30 groups of IMs are evaluated from five aspects as practicality, efficiency, proficiency, sufficiency, and hazard computability. Finally, the optimal set of IMs for different EDPs with the fuzzy decision matrix are determined by the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method.

Seismic fragility analysis of concrete pile-supported wharves based on single-degree-of-freedom model

This study proposes a new procedure to predict the seismic fragility curves of concrete pile-supported wharf based on an equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model. The SDOF model is utilized to substitute the practical wharf structure during probabilistic seismic demand analysis for reducing the computational cost and complexity. The trilinear backbone cure and Pivot hysteresis model, whose parameters are determined by the pushover analysis of actual wharf, are incorporated in the SDOF model to represent hysteresis characteristics and strength degradation of wharf. To validate the reasonability of the proposed procedure, two case studies are conducted by comparing the difference of fragility curves developed from actual wharf and its equivalent SDOF model based on the cloud method. The results show that the curves are located very closely on the graph, and the curve of SDOF model is generally above that of actual wharf, which indicates that the SDOF model may provide a conservative assessment for fragility analysis of wharf.

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Critical Port Infrastructure Components by Modelling the Soil-Wharf-Crane Interaction

This paper aims to investigate the seismic vulnerability of key port infrastructure components by using the outcomes of advanced numerical analysis. For the first time, to the best knowledge of the authors, a pile-supported wharf structure, the soil deposits where the wharf lies, and a crane typically operating on the wharf are numerically modelled as a combined system. The starting point for building the numerical model is the main components of strategic facilities at the port of Gioia Tauro (Italy), which is a strategic hub for container traffic located in one of the most seismically active regions of the Mediterranean Sea. Based on the results obtained from two-dimensional (2D) dynamic analyses, fragility curves were developed for single port components and the wharf-crane-soil system. A scenario-based seismic damage assessment was then exemplified to compare the predictions resulting from the fragility model presented in this work with the relevant data available in the literature. It turns out that, besides some inevitable variations, expected damage percentages were in general agreement. As the main contribution of this work, derived fragility curves might be adopted as an effective tool for rapid evaluation of the seismic performance of port components during the development of strategies for risk mitigation and also the emergency management in case of an earthquake.

Seismic Enhancement of Pile-Supported Wharf Using Tension-Only Cables

Seismic Enhancement of Pile-Supported Wharf Using Tension-Only Cables

Seismic Performance Assessment of Wide Pile-Supported Wharf Considering Soil Slope and Waveform Duration

Pile-supported wharf (PSW) is one of the primary port structures and is often damaged by earthquakes. To mitigate the risk of seismic damage to a PSW, its seismic performance should be thoroughly assessed. This study aimed to examine the impact of ground displacement on the seismic performance of PSW with a mild soil slope. We performed soil-structure system finite element analysis targeting a wide PSW. The analysis is divided into two scenarios. In the first scenario, the PSW was modeled without regard for the soil slope, whereas the second scenario considered the soil slope. Two waveforms that matched the target spectral acceleration were used to study the effects of the waveform duration on the seismic response of PSW. The analysis results revealed substantial influences of soil slope displacement as well as differences in waveforms on PSW’s seismic performance.

Seismic vulnerability analysis of vertical pile-supported wharf structure

In order to study the seismic vulnerability of pile-supported wharf structure, taking a vertical pile-supported wharf as the research object and considering the influence of the site, seismic spectrum characteristics and the uncertainty of ground motion intensity, we establish a dynamic nonlinear numerical model of structure-foundation soil coupling of vertical pile-supported wharf by using the geotechnical finite element software of Midas GTS NX. Selecting the maximum strain of pile foundation in soil as the damage index, we obtain the seismic vulnerability curves and the corresponding damage state probability based on the the incremental dynamic analysis method. The analysis results show that when peak ground acceleration is less than 0.80<italic>g</italic>, the wharf structure is mainly in mild damage state or moderate damage state, otherwise the probability of serious damage basically exceeds 50% and the structure will lose operational capacity. Based on the vulnerability analysis of pile foundation damage in foundation soil, the influence of earthquake on the vertical pile-supported wharf is described from macroscopic and quantitative point of view, which can provide reference for seismic design and disaster prevention prediction of vertical pile-supported wharf.