Application of UBCSAND to the LEAP centrifuge experiments

• Published in: Soil dynamics and earthquake engineering (1984) Vol. 104; pp. 143 - 153
• Main Author: Beaty, Michael H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Barking Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Calibration; Centrifuges; Comparative analysis; Deformation; Deformation effects; Effective stress; Effective stress constitutive model; FLAC; LEAP; Liquefaction; Mathematical models; Non-linear deformation analysis; UBCSAND; UBCSAND; Liquefaction; FLAC; Non-linear deformation analysis; LEAP; Calibration; Effective stress constitutive model
• ISSN: 0267-7261; 1879-341X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.soildyn.2017.10.006

UBCSAND is an effective-stress constitutive model for estimating shear-induced deformations resulting from liquefaction. It is a practice-oriented tool that balances simplicity of formulation and use with the ability to address key aspects of the liquefaction problem. This paper discusses the challenges of applying a FLAC-UBCSAND modeling approach to Class-A, B, and C predictions of the LEAP centrifuge tests. Attention is given to typical model calibration procedures and difficulties in using these procedures for the LEAP evaluations. A comparison of the analysis predictions to the centrifuge measurements is provided.
•UBCSAND is a simple effective stress model for sand capable of capturing significant aspects of cyclic behavior.•UBCSAND produced reasonable estimates of pore pressure, acceleration, and horizontal surface displacements.•Challenges in evaluating the analysis estimates included large variations in measured response from the centrifuge tests.•The set of provided laboratory test results were not well suited to calibrating the UBCSAND model.•Generic relationships for model parameter values developed from typical trends were useful in guiding the calibration.