Fragility assessment of traffic embankments exposed to earthquake-induced liquefaction

Oblak, Aleš (author), Kosič, Mirko (author), Viana da Fonseca, António (author), Logar, Janko (author)

In this study, a vulnerability analysis of road and railway embankments to earthquake-induced liquefaction deformations was carried out. The result of the vulnerability analysis was a set of fragility curves that were obtained for several embankment and soil-profile geometries, as well as for the material properties of the liquefiable layer. The fragility curves were based on the numerical calculations obtained from FLAC 2D software in conjunction with the PM4Sand material model used for simulating the behavior of liquefaction-susceptible soils during dynamic shaking. The fragility analysis was performed using an incremental dynamic analysis approach considering a set of 30 ground motions and at least eight intensity levels. Permanent vertical displacement of the middle top point of the embankment was selected as the damage parameter, while the intensity measure was expressed in terms of peak ground acceleration at bedrock. Fragility curves were derived for three damage states, including minor, moderate and extensive damage, based on threshold values proposed in the literature. The influence of a single model variable was examined through comparison of the fragility curves.

• Language: English
• Keywords: civil engineering, soil liquefaction, fragility curve, traffic embankment, FLAC, PM4Sand
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 19 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 10, iss. 19, art. 6832
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-124817
• UDC: 624
• ISSN on article: 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app10196832
• COBISS.SI-ID: 30533379
• Publication date in RUL: 19.02.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Applied sciences
• Shortened title: Appl. sci.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2076-3417
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522979353

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.10.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: gradbeništvo, likvifakcija tal, krivulja ranljivosti, nasipi prometnic, FLAC, PM4Sand

Projects

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Funding programme: H2020
• Project number: 700748
• Name: Assessment and mitigation of liquefaction potential across Europe: a holistic approach to protect structures / infrastructures for improved resilience to earthquake-induced liquefaction disasters
• Acronym: LIQUEFACT