Sheet Pile Quay Wall Research Articles

Assessment of Load Test Results on a Sheet Pile Quay Wall: The Potential of 3D Numerical Modeling

Assessment of Load Test Results on a Sheet Pile Quay Wall: The Potential of 3D Numerical Modeling

Relationship between peak ground acceleration and damages indices for steel sheet pile quay wall in Bejaia-Algeria

Purpose The purpose of this paper is the dynamic analysis and seismic damage assessment of steel sheet pile quay wall with inelastic behavior underground motions using several accelerograms. Design/methodology/approach Finite element analysis is conducted using the Plaxis 2D software to generate the numerical model of quay wall. The extension of berth 25 at the port of Bejaia, located in northeastern Algeria, represents a case study. Incremental dynamic analyses are carried out to examine variation of the main response parameters under seismic excitations with increasing Peak ground acceleration (PGA) levels. Two global damage indices based on the safety factor and bending moment are introduced to assess the relationship between PGA and the damage levels. Findings The results obtained indicate that the sheet pile quay wall can safely withstand seismic loads up to PGAs of 0.35 g and that above 0.45 g, care should be taken with the risk of reaching the ultimate moment capacity of the steel sheet pile. However, for PGAs greater than 0.5 g, it was clearly demonstrated that the excessive deformations with material are likely to occur in the soil layers and in the structural elements. Originality/value The main contribution of the present work is a new double seismic damage index for a steel sheet pile supported quay wharf. The numerical modeling is first validated in the static case. Then, the results obtained by performing several incremental dynamic analyses are exploited to evaluate the degradation of the soil safety factor and the seismic capacity of the pile sheet wall. Computed values of the proposed damage indices of the considered quay wharf are a practical helping tool for decision-making regarding the seismic safety of the structure.

Subgrade Reaction Characteristics to the Anchor Pile of a Sheet Pile Quay Wall

The Conventional Design Method (CDM) for anchored sheet pile quay walls cannot accurately calculate the anchor pile deformation, partly because it does not properly consider the subgrade reaction. This study aims to clarify the subgrade reaction characteristics of the anchor pile using finite element analysis. The CDM assumes that passive failure occurs at the front of the anchor pile. On the contrary, this study shows that the active failure region generated from the back of the sheet pile wall expands to the periphery of the anchor pile and the passive failure region is not generated at its front. Thus, the subgrade reaction to the anchor pile is found to be smaller than the CDM assumption. The CDM also neglects the subgrade reaction in parts shallower than the tie-rod mounting height in the pile front. This study clarifies that the subgrade reaction in this part greatly contributes to the deformation resistance of the pile. Consequently, the subgrade reaction in the shallower range than the tie-rod mounting height is greater than or equal to that in the deeper range. Furthermore, the subgrade reaction has a lower upper limit when acting on the anchor pile than when acting on a horizontally stratified ground, and the difference between these limits widens as the reference earthquake strengthens.

THE RESULTS OF THEORETICAL STUDIES FOR DETERMINING OPERATIONAL LOADS ON GRAVITY-TYPE BERTHING STRUCTURES

The current waterfront of Ukrainian ports includes structures that have been developed in the past and have over 50 years of experience. Open-piled quay walls and sheet-pile quay walls are the most common types of quay walls used for berths in Ukrainian ports. However, there are gravity-type quay walls. The share in the total the waterfront is not large. They were built in the past and require modernization and reconstruction. Most of these berthing structures have defects in concrete and reinforcement, which reduce the durability and bearing capacity. Furthermore, the development of freight and passenger maritime traffic and the construction of modern ships led to the need to increase the depths at existing berths and define the operational loads meeting modern requirements. Thus, the issue of reconstruction of gravity-type quay walls is relevant for many ports of Ukraine. The choice of the reconstruction method depends on the correct estimation of the actual technical condition of an existing structure. Gravity-type structures are those that rely primarily on their weight and grip on the foundations to resist any possible adverse load combinations. The requirements for such structures lead to the solution of one of the main tasks ‒ the determination of the reactive capacity of the soil base. The reactive capacity calculation of the soil bases for considered structures is essential. The purpose of the calculation is to provide both strength and stability of soil bases. An improved method for determining the reactive capacity of the soil base of gravity-type quay walls has been developed. This method allows determining the reactive capacity of the soil base in conditions of the mixed stress state (limit and sublimit stress state zones in the soil base are considered). This paper reviews some results of applying the proposed method for the reactive capacity estimation of the soil base of gravity-type quay walls. The obtained results have been used to analyze the preliminary reconstruction options for the mentioned structures and determine operational loads.

Behavior of sheet pile quay wall deepened and improved ground by the CDM method under earthquake loading

Quay wall is very varied in structure types, such as gravity, sheet pile, and open berth types. In reality, many quay walls were constructed in the past, which had low front water depth and bearing capacity. Thus, it is necessary to renovate these quay walls to enhance their performance and increase their bearing capacity. This paper studied to increase the font water depth of the existing sheet pile quay wall by deepening the seabed in front of the wall. To ensure and increase the bearing capacity of the quay walls after renovation, the ground in front of the wall was strengthened by cement deep mixing (CDM) before deepening. By using the numerical simulation method, the study focused on evaluating the behavior of sheet pile quay walls under earthquake loading. Some typical responses of the sheet pile, such as deformation, displacement, and bending moment, were investigated and compared with and without CDM cases. In addition, the effect of the CDM strength and area on the behavior of the sheet pile wall was also considered. The results indicated that ground improvement before deepening decreased significant bending moment and displacement of the sheet pile wall. The displacement of the sheet pile decreased with increasing strength of the area of the CDM until they reached certain values.

Investigation on behavior of anchored sheet pile quay wall improved by cement-soil: Centrifuge and numerical modelling

By using the centrifuge test and three-dimensional (3-D) finite element (FE) simulation with an advanced soil constitutive model, this study investigated the suitability and reinforcement effect of cement deep mixing (CDM) for stabilizing the anchored sheet pile quay (ASPQ) in soft clay. Besides, a parametric study was designed to analyse the influence of three factors, including the excavation depth ratio, the slenderness ratio and the strength of the CDM block, on the responses of quay wall and quay-surface settlement. The results showed that the effectiveness of CDM was closely related to its strength, slenderness ratio, and excavation depth ratio. There existed a critical slenderness ratio of the CDM block to minimize the lateral deflection of the quay wall. The influence of CDM block strength on the response of the quay wall was significant only when it had low rigidity. As a result of material improvement, the reduction in maximum wall displacement became more significant as the excavation depth ratio increased. A CDM block-to-excavation-strength shape factor was proposed to characterise the lateral response of quay walls in cement-improved soil.

Finite element analysis on dynamic behavior of sheet pile quay wall dredged and improved seaside subsoil using cement deep mixing

Sheet pile wall structures are commonly applied in coastal projects, particularly for the quay wall. This structural type normally is used in places where the ground has a low bearing capacity and is easily penetrable. Many sheet pile quay walls constructed in the past had low front water depth and did not satisfy the requirements of current standards. This issue could be addressed by improving the ground in front of the wall using cement deep mixing (CDM) and then excavating to increase the water depth in front of the wall. This paper numerically evaluated the dynamic behavior of the sheet pile wall after renovation. The numerical model was performed based on the finite element method (FEM) using the PLAXIS 2D program. The study focused on investigating typical parameters of the quay wall improved using the CDM, such as bending moment and displacement of sheet pile and the development of excess pore water pressure (EPWP) in the backfill. These results were compared to those of the quay wall without the CDM to elucidate the advantages of this method. In addition, the influence of some factors on the quay wall behavior, such as earthquake excitation characteristics, CDM area, and CDM strength, was also evaluated. The results demonstrated that the ground improvement using the CDM significantly decreased the bending moment and displacement of the sheet pile wall. The excitation characteristics did not affect the deformed shape of the sheet pile. With the constant CDM depth, the sheet pile displacement decreased with an increase in the improvement width until it reached a limitation. The increasing CDM strength also decreased the displacement of the wall until it raised a certain value. This demonstrated that this method was technically feasible, and it could be considered to study further by experiment before applying in practice.

A Simplified Deformation Estimation Method for Anchor Piles of Sheet Pile Quay Walls under Kinematic Forces during Earthquakes

In the seismic design of quay walls, it is necessary to evaluate the deformation of the walls during earthquakes as well as the safety of structural members. However, conventional seismic design methods for sheet pile quay walls cannot accurately determine the degree of deformation. One reason for this is that conventional methods do not consider kinematic forces acting on an anchor pile due to the deformation of the ground. This study proposes a simplified estimation method for anchor pile deformation under the influence of kinematic forces. The results of two-dimensional finite element analysis reveal that anchor pile deformation involves rotational and translational components caused by the kinematic forces, which the conventional methods do not consider. The deformation of the anchor pile caused by kinematic forces was 30%–40% of the total deformation at the pile head. It was clarified that unlike horizontally stratified ground, shear stress is generated in the ground before an earthquake resulting in the kinematic force acting on the anchor pile during the earthquake. Furthermore, a simplified method for estimating the deformation of the anchor pile under kinematic forces that uses one-dimensional seismic response analysis considering the predicted shear stress based on a theoretical equation is proposed. It was demonstrated that the proposed method accurately reproduces the anchor pile deformation.

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS ON BEHAVIOR OF SHEET PILE QUAY WALL UNDER EARTHQUAKE LOADING USING TIME HISTORY METHOD

The sheet pile wall is used popular for coastal projects, and it is normally applied suitable for the ground had average or weak bearing capacity. Currently, when analysis and design this structure type under earthquake loading, almost documents and standards recomment to use response spectrum method, without much mention of the time-history method. This paper presented the method to evaluate the behavior of sheet pile quay wall using time-history method including liquefaction of soil by PLAXIS 2D program. The analysis was conducted based on the Vietnam standard and some foreign standards. The results focused on analysis and evaluate displacement and deformation of quay wall, the increase of excess pore pressure in the backfill with the time and liquefaction potention of the soil.

Numerical Assessment of Tsunami-Structure Interaction (Guerrero, Mexico)

Palemon-Arcos, L.; Torres-Freyermuth, A.; Gutierrez-Can, Y.; Gomez-Arredondo, C.M.; Bojorquez-Mora, E.; Pintado-Patino, J.C., and Hernandez-Hernandez, M.-A., 2020. Numerical assessment of tsunami-structure interaction (Guerrero, Mexico). Journal of Coastal Research, 36(6), 1302–1312. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.A numerical modelling framework for the study of tsunami-structure interaction is presented. In this work, a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equation nonlinear wave transformation numerical model is coupled to a structural model to investigate wave-structure stability and functionality. Different tsunami breaking types interacting with an existing sheet-pile quay wall located at the coast of Guerrero (Mexico) were considered for two structure conditions (newly built and deteriorated). The depth- and temporal-dependent pressure field on the protective wall was employed to determine the structural response. Furthermore, the numerical framework allowed the overtopping volumes to be quantified. Numerical results show that structural failure under tsunami waves is sensitive to both the breaking type and the degree of deterioration of concrete and steel. Numerical results also suggest that the quasi-dynamic approach written in the guideline codes for tsunami design is not suitable. Hence, a nonhydrostatic approach is required for proper design of coastal protection structures exposed to tsunami loads.

Proposal of sheet-pile quay wall structure reinforced by geogrids

Proposal of sheet-pile quay wall structure reinforced by geogrids

Calculation Method of Seismic Residual Displacement of Sheet Pile Quay Walls

Sheet pile quay walls have widely been used in port engineering, hydraulic engineering, and civil engineering, but the sheet pile quay is a flexible retaining structure, which undergoes large deformation during earthquakes. The seismic design methods of the sheet pile quay wall in different countries are greatly different, and there is deficit of studies performed on the seismic residual displacement of the sheet pile quay walls. Based on the pseudostatic method and the calculation method for obtaining the dynamic earth pressure of clay soil, it is assumed that the cantilever part of the sheet pile quay wall bears the dynamic active earth pressure and the part in deep soil bears dynamic passive earth pressure on the side of the sea and bears dynamic active earth pressure on the side of the ground. The hydrodynamic pressure acting in front of the wall is calculated using Westergaard’s approach. The displacement of the front wall of the sheet pile quay is calculated, respectively, according to the upper part and lower part of mud surface. Based on the deflection curve differential equation and boundary conditions, the calculating formulas on seismic residual displacements of the sheet pile quay walls are derived and the proportional displacement method for determining the tension force of the pull rod is given. Combining with an engineering case, the theoretical calculation results are compared with the ADINA simulation results, and comparison results show that these two calculation methods are close under the mud, but they have little difference in the calculation results of the part above the mud because of the proportional displacement method of the tension force of the pull rod.

Field testing and numerical analysis on performance of anchored sheet pile quay wall with separate pile-supported platform

The anchored sheet pile quay wall with a separate pile-supported platform was invented to meet the functional and serviceable requirements of engineering practice, including the higher elevation of retained soils and smaller wall deflection, based on the conventional anchored sheet pile structure. This paper presents the field testing as well as the three-dimensional numerical analysis on the first practical case of the new structure. The performance of the structure and soil is described and discussed, including the lateral deflection, bending moment, axial force, tensile force, and lateral earth pressure. The measured data and computed results show that the lateral deflection of the sheet pile wall can be significantly reduced, and the measured maximum lateral displacement is approximately 0.21% of the wall height in this case. The bending moment and axial force of the supporting piles are generally greater than those of the sheet pile and anchor wall, indicating that the pile-supported platform is efficient for reducing the loads acting on a sheet pile. The effects of the pile-supported platform can be summarized as a combination of blocking effect of the supporting piles to carry the lateral earth pressures as well as a load-relieving effect of the platform to transfer the vertical loads to deeper foundation soils through the pile. Compared to the numerical results, Coulomb's earth pressure theory significantly overestimates the earth pressure loads acting on the sheet pile at higher elevations. Furthermore, the dredging activity has greater effects on the behaviours of the sheet pile wall and front-pile than the superstructure construction.

Finite element modeling of soil-pile response subjected to liquefaction-induced lateral spreading in a large-scale shake table experiment

This paper presents two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear dynamic finite element (FE) modeling of a large-scale shake table test conducted at the E-Defense shake table facility in Japan. This study explores the efficiency of 2D effective stress analyses to predict the behavior of soil-pile systems subjected to liquefaction and lateral spreading using the library of existing constitutive models and the prescribed parameters. The coupled soil-water FE model was developed in OpenSees and the analysis results are compared with measured data from the shake table experiment with the main emphasis on the response of liquefied soil and the demand applied to the piles as well as the sheet-pile quay wall. By examining the numerical analysis results, it is demonstrated that the FE model was able to reproduce the shake table model behavior with reasonable accuracy. Lastly, a mitigation strategy was modeled to investigate its effectiveness to reduce the demand on the soil-pile system.

Comparative study on the seismic performance of two types of quay wall structures

ABSTRACTA new type of quay wall structure has been proposed to improve the seismic resistance capability of existing sheet pile quay wall structures. The new structure adopts a combination of stabilized soil and geogrid, and this structure is referred to simply as “SG-WALL”. This paper presents a numerical comparative study on the seismic performances of quay wall structures between the newly developed SG-WALL and the traditional anchor pile-reinforced structure. The calculated results, including displacement of sheet pile, ground settlement, bending moment and stress of sheet pile, and excess pore water pressure, were analyzed and discussed. It was shown that both types of improvement methods can effectively reduce the residual displacements of sheet piles after earthquakes. The residual displacements at the top of the sheet piles in SG-WALL structure and the anchor pile-reinforced structure decreased by 35.6 and 38.2%, respectively. In addition, the SG-WALL structure can more significantly reduce the ground settlement due to earthquakes. The maximum ground settlement in SG-WALL structure and the anchor pile-reinforced structure decreased by 67.3 and 58.9%, respectively.

Numerical Simulation Analysis of Collision between Ship and Steel Sheet Pile Quay-Wall

The impact process of 50000t ship and steel sheet pile bulkhead is simulated by finite element software ANSYS/LS-DYNA. This article acquires the impact force-time curve, equivalent force-time curve of steel sheet pile and the pressure-time curve of breast wall. Comparing the impact force of numerical simulation with the result of ship-bridge collision specifications, and general rules and characteristics are obtained. At the same time, put forward some measures to prevent the damage of wharf structure under the ship of large velocity impact, which provide theoretical references during the design, maintenance, and transformation of similar wharf.

Response of a RC pile behind quay wall to liquefaction-induced lateral spreading: A shake-table investigation

Response of pile foundations to liquefaction-induced lateral spreading still continues to be a complex problem. A shake-table experiment was carried out to explore the response of a reinforced concrete pile behind a sheet-pile quay wall due to liquefaction-induced lateral soil flow. The quay wall was used to trigger liquefaction-induced large lateral ground deformation. The representative features of the pile and the soil are recorded and analyzed. Particular attention is paid to monotonic lateral pile response. A pressure distribution scenario with a triangular lateral pressure from the non-liquefied crust layer and a uniform lateral pressure from the upper liquefied stratum was proposed. A simplified analytical model based on the classical equation for beam on elastic foundation was adopted to evaluate nonlinear behavior of the pile. On this basis, the model was calibrated to represent the experimental observations. Then, key parameters influencing nonlinear pile response were determined. The simulations demonstrated that the model underestimates lateral pile deformation and negligibly influences the moments when linear pile behavior was assumed. Larger pile diameter while holding a constant stiffness could greatly increase the moments and displacements of the pile. Nevertheless, the axial force from the superstructure has a tendency to increase the pile responses to a certain extent. This study further enhances the current understanding of the pile behavior under lateral spreading. Finally, additional large-scale experimental studies are needed in order to provide more data for calibration of soil flow pressure and evaluate inelastic response of piles due to lateral spreading of liquefied soils.

Response of a pile group behind quay wall to liquefaction-induced lateral spreading: a shake-table investigation

The response of pile foundations near a quay wall under liquefaction-induced lateral spreading remains a complex problem. This study presents the results of a shake-table test on a 2×2 pile group behind a sheet-pile quay wall that was subjected to lateral spreading. The quay wall was employed to trigger liquefaction-induced large lateral ground deformation. The discussions focus on the behavior of the pile and the soil and on the bending moment distributions within the group pile and the restoring force characteristics at the superstructure. Overall, the piles exhibited apparent pinning effects that reduced soil deformation. In addition, the rear-row piles near the quay wall experienced larger bending moments than did the front-row piles, indicating significant pile group effects. The tests showed that lateral spreading could be a primary cause of larger monotonic deformations and bending moments. It can also be concluded that the monotonic bending moments were significantly decreased due to the presence of slow soil flow. The stiffness at the superstructure was reduced because of accumulated excess pore pressure before liquefaction, and it was recovered during lateral spreading. The present study further enhances current understanding of the behavior of low-cap pile foundations under lateral spreading.

Experimental study of remediation measures of anchored sheet pile quay walls using soil compaction

The seismic performance of quay walls was determined to be highly dependent on liquefaction. The dynamic response of anchored sheet pile quay walls that are embedded in liquefaction-susceptible soil was investigated using shaking table modeling. Extensive damage to the retaining system was attributed to the soil liquefaction near the embedded section. The lateral displacements of the walls due to liquefaction were accompanied by large seaward displacements of anchors; they consequently reduced the tensile forces of the tie rods. A remediation method that involves the compaction of weak areas was experimentally evaluated. The effectiveness of the soil improvement in zones adjacent to the embedded section and/or the area in front of the anchors was assessed based on recorded dynamic responses. The implemented countermeasures considerably reduced the deformations of the wall and the anchors. The foundation improvements influenced the failure mode. Densification in front of the anchors limited the seaward displacements of the anchors, which increased the tensile forces in the tie rods.

Surface Wave-Based Health Monitoring Method for a Sheet Pile Quay Wall

Port structures such as pile supported piers and quay walls generally face severe conditions, and deterioration of port structures is often observed. For an example, at a sheet pile quay wall, sheet pile is a structural component which is easily deteriorated by corrosion. As a result of deterioration of sheet pile, the backfilled soil would be washed out due to the tidal action. Suffusion, the phenomena of the washed out of fine particles and loosening of soil layer, is a problem to be considered in the maintenance of a quay wall. Therefore, a health monitoring method for the backfill of a sheet pile quay wall is necessary. In this study, the applicability of a surface-wave method for health monitoring of a sheet pile quay wall was examined. First, the variation of shear wave velocity in the ground due to suffusion and variation in water content is measured from bender element tests. Then, 2D finite element method (FEM) dynamic analysis was conducted to simulate a surface-wave measurement on a sheet pile quay wall. From the result of the analysis, the estimated shear wave velocity profile based on surface-wave method agrees fairly well with the assumed soil profile. Finally, surface-waves were measured at a sheet pile quay wall, and the measured results were compared with the result of Swedish weight sounding test at the site. Furthermore, the difference between the shear wave velocity profiles at ebb tide and that at high tide was successfully measured by the surface-wave method. Thus, the applicability of the surface-wave method for a sheet pile quay wall is demonstrated in this study.