ENGM048/Semester 2 2010/4pp (2 handouts)

UNIVERSITY OF SURREY
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences Postgraduate Programmes in Civil Engineering Level M Examination

Module ENGM048; 15 Credits

SOIL-STRUCTURE INTERACTION

Time allowed: 2 hours

Semester 2 2010

Attempt TWO questions only

Each question carries equal marks; where appropriate the mark carried by an individual part of a question is indicated in brackets [ ]. If a candidate attempts extra questions, all questions will be marked and the weaker solutions discarded so as to maximize the aggregate mark

Additional documents supplied to candidates: Laterally-loaded pile data sheets Beam on elastic foundation data sheets Ordinary graph paper Reference documents candidates may use: None Please avoid the use of red and green inks

Candidates may use Casio FX115MS calculators or any other model with lower functionality (i.e. non-programmable, no alphanumeric memory and no communication devices).

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ENGM048/Semester 2 2010/4pp

1.

An existing 3-storey office building with a single basement level is to be demolished and replaced with a new structure, which will be one storey higher and one basement level deeper. The building is in close proximity to an inclined escalator shaft, which connects the street-level ticket hall and platforms at a metro station, as shown in Figure 1. The soil profile comprises 1-2m of made ground, overlying a thick stratum of stiff, heavily overconsolidated clay that extends about 20m below station platform level. Ground water level coincides with the junction of the made ground and the clay.
A Existing office building 3/F 2/F 1/F G/F
\\///\\//

<

0m
\\///\\//

Basement

-3m

Escalator shaft Escalator shaft

< A
Platform

SECTION SIDE ELEVATION

-20m

A-A

Figure 1 Plane-strain finite element (FE) analysis will be used to investigate the effects of the proposed demolition and reconstruction on the escalator shaft. The metro authority has expressed particular concerns about stress changes in the shaft lining (bolted castiron ring segments) leading to possible distortion of the shaft that could interfere with escalator operation. A preliminary analysis will be carried out on Section AA.

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ENGM048/Semester 2 2010/4pp

1.

(a)

What types of finite element would be best suited to represent (i) the walls and floor slabs of the existing building, (ii) the soil, and (iii) the tunnel lining? [3] Identify two different ways in which the unloading effects of demolition and excavation could be modelled, and comment briefly on their relative merits. [4] The in-situ ratio h / v (= Ko) in the stiff clay is found to be around 2.5 in the vicinity of the escalator shaft. Explain briefly the geological mechanisms that produce such a high ratio, and how it would be incorporated in the FE model. [3] It is considered important that the constitutive model used for the clay is capable of reproducing nonlinear elastic stiffness at small strains. (i) (ii) Identify a suitable constitutive model and outline its principal features. [2] Explain how the parameters defining the model might be determined. [2]

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

What output from the FE analyses would be particularly helpful in assessing the likely risk to the escalator shaft? [3] The FE analysis was originally designed to model the construction phase only, assuming undrained conditions. In order to extend the analysis to consider post-construction behaviour (due to long-term equalisation of excess pore water pressures), what changes will need to be made to the FE model, and what additional data will be required? [3]

(f)

ENGM048/Semester 2 2010/4pp

2.

(a)

Sketch the typical variation of deflection, slope, moment, shear force and soil pressure along the axis of a single (free head) vertical pile in sand, which is acted upon by a substantial lateral load at the ground surface. [3] The laterally loaded pile can be modelled in much the same way as a beam on an elastic (Winkler spring) foundation, but there are some important differences. Identify these differences and explain how you would adapt a beam on elastic foundation analysis to cope with them. [3] Explain briefly what a p-y curve is, what sort of situations it might be used in, and how it is derived. [3] A mooring platform is to be supported on a small group of 300mm 300mm square precast concrete piles, driven through 4m of water into a stratum of dense sand which has Nh = 8.5 MN/m3. A single test pile of overall length 12m is driven vertically into the sand, until the top of the pile is 1m above water level. (i) (ii) Calculate the lateral deflection of the pile at seabed level, if a horizontal load of 50 kN is applied to the pile head. Econc = 25 GPa, [7] Explain why the lateral deflection calculated in (i) would not be reduced simply by lengthening the pile to penetrate further into the dense sand. [2] Suggest a way of increasing the stiffness of the whole pile group to lateral loading, without enlarging the pile section. [2]

(b)

(c)

(d)

(iii)

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ENGM048/Semester 2 2010/4pp

3.

(a)

An in-situ vertical loading test was carried out on a 0.305m 0.305m (= 1ft2) plate in a shallow test pit at a proposed site. Using the field observations recorded below, plot the load-displacement curve and hence determine Ks1. [5]
Pressure (kN/m2) Settlement (mm) Pressure (kN/m2) Settlement (mm) 0 0.0 80 4.1 10 0.4 90 5.4 20 0.7 100 7.3 30 1.0 110 9.8 40 1.4 116 13.3 50 1.8 119 17.5 60 2.4 120 23.3 70 3.1

(b)

If the test in (a) was repeated with a larger plate but applying the same pressure increments, explain (i) why different settlements would be observed, and (ii) what the implications are for subgrade modulus as a fundamental soil parameter. [3] Use Hetenyis method to determine the (i) vertical deflection, (ii) bending moment, and (iii) shear force at point A, for the beam shown in Figure 2. The beam can be assumed to be infinitely long, with a width B of 600mm and a depth d of 250mm. Youngs modulus E for the concrete is 22 GN/m2, and the Winkler constant k for the soil is 5000 kN/m3. [7]

(c)

550 kN /m 300 kN-m /m - \\///\\ x = | -2m A | 0m Figure 2 + | +3m

(d)

The finite difference method is to be used to analyse the beam shown in Figure 2. A step size h of 0.5m will be adopted, and ends of the beam will be placed at a suitable distance from the applied loads in order to approximate the infinite length assumed in Hetenyis solution. (i) Write the finite difference (FD) approximation to the governing differential equation at x = 3m (i.e. the point of application of the 550 kN/m load). Assume that the FD grid node number at this point is 17. [3] Describe how the applied moment of 300 kN-m/m could be modelled, given that the FD approximation can only handle load intensities. [2]

(ii)

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