SHAKE TABLE TESTING ON SEISMIC PERFORMANCE OF GRAVITY QUAY WALLS

This paper discusses the effects of excess pore water pressure increase in the backfill and foundation soils on the seismic performance of gravity quay walls based on the shake table tests. The first series of shake table tests are conducted to evaluate the capability of shake table tests in simulating the seismic performance of the prototype. The models scaled in 1/17 of the prototype are successful to simulate the prototype performance, which displaced 2.8 m toward the sea, settled 1.1 m and tilted about 4% during the Hyogoken-Nambu (Kobe) earthquake of 1995. The second series of shake table tests are conducted to evaluate the major parameters affecting the seismic performance of gravity quay walls. By varying the geotechnical conditions in backfill and foundation soils, the effects of the excess pore water pressures in the backfill and foundation soils increases the deformation about twice as large as that without effect of the excess pore water pressure increase. The effects of excess pore water pressure increases in the backfill and foundation soils on the deformation of the caisson wall were about 1:2.