Earthquake-induced pressures on discontinuous piling support on Santiago gravel

Abstract

Discontinuous anchored piling support (anchored soldier piles without lagging) is one of the most frequent earth-retaining systems used in temporary deep excavations in Santiago, Chile. The main advantages of using discontinuous piling support are their relatively low cost and ease of installation. This system is particularly efficient on stiff soils with deep groundwater table, conditions usually found in Santiago. This paper presents a numerical investigation of the characteristics of earthquake induced lateral pressures on discontinuous pile-supported excavations in Santiago gravel. An equivalent bi-dimensional plane-strain model was developed on the basis of a more refined 3D model in order to quantify the influence of the "arching effect" on the dynamic lateral earth-pressures. The dynamic response was studied for a suite of Chilean ground motion recorded on rock in order to evaluate the variability of the dynamic pressures and their influence on the piles' internal forces. These results are then compared against some simplified design recommendations. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.