Collaborative Research: Using NEES as a Testbed for Studying Soil-Foundation-Structure-Interaction
Principal Investigator: Sharon L. Wood, University of Texas at Austin
This collaborative project addresses one of the most critical needs in earthquake engineering today: improved knowledge of soil-foundation-structure-interaction (SFSI). It also provides an ideal opportunity for demonstrating and challenging the new NEES model for conducting research.
The prototype structure selected for investigation is a continuous bridge structure. The dynamic response of this structure is influenced by the ground motion and the nonlinear characteristics of the soil, foundation, and superstructure. It is impossible to determine which will control the system response a priori. It is also impossible to test a single physical model of the prototype structure and reproduce all key aspects of the system. Therefore, a series of four, complementary physical models will be tested at four different sites:
- Centrifuge tests of individual bridge bents to evaluate the nonlinear response of the soil and foundation system (University of California Davis)
- Dynamic field tests of individual bents using mobile shakers to evaluate the response of the soil, foundation, and structure (University of Texas at Austin)
- Shaking table tests of a three-span model to evaluate the nonlinear response of the superstructure subjected to bi-directional, incoherent support motion (University of Nevada Reno)
- Laboratory tests of large-scale individual columns to evaluate strength degradation in flexure and shear (Purdue University)
Note that some tests will be conducted at Purdue University, thereby demonstrating that NEES experimental research is not limited to the fifteen NSF-funded equipment sites. Computational simulation also has a central role in the project for relating the individual component and system experiments. Simulation is needed to design and interpret the individual experimental tests. An important deliverable of the project is improved computational models for SFSI, calibrated from the experiments, in a form available for community use. Finally, the computational simulation component will use and extend NEES system capabilities and resources, such as high-end computing, network distributed computing, databases, and visualization.
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For additional technical information on this project, please visit the external project page.