Validating 1D numerical simulation of the free field using centrifuge tests

Abstract

The increasing shift towards performance based geotechnical earthquake engineering design requires an improved understanding of soil-structure interaction (SSI) for buildings on liquefiable deposits. While a number of authors have used centrifuge tests and numerical modelling to study this phenomena, a limited number of studies have been undertaken where numerical models have been validated against wellinstrumented physical model tests or centrifuge tests. Therefore, this research focuses on validating numerical simulations developed using FLAC and the PM4Sand constitutive soil model and OpenSees and PDMY02 constitutive soil model against published centrifuge experiment data. By considering two numerical programs and constitutive soil models the research also aims to compare the relative performance of the two numerical simulations. This paper presents the validation of the simulated free field response against settlement, pore water pressure and accelerations measured in the centrifuge test, using a large array of instruments. This validation is an important step towards subsequent research involving SSI.