Performance Evaluation of Gravity Quay Walls under Seismic Loads

Authors

Magdy Ali Fawzy, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta UniversityFollow
Bakenaz A. Zeidan, Professor, Irrigation and Hydraulics Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, 31527, Tanta, EgyptFollow
Yasser elhakem, Construction Research Institute,National Water Research CenterFollow
Ahmed I. Elshinnawy Dr., Tanta University - Faculty of EngineeringFollow

Abstract

This study explores the seismic performance of a prototype block-type quay wall using the PLAXIS 2D software. The numerical model was forced by historical records of two earthquakes employing four soil types including sand, clay, gravel, and rock. The study investigated the influence of the earthquake seismic motion level, seismic motion configuration, peak ground acceleration (PGA) value, tidal range, and soil type on the structure behavior under the seismic action. Additionally, we assessed the accepted damage level of the structure based on the computed horizontal displacement and tilting. Results indicate that the structure behaves differently under the same seismic load conditions when changing the soil type. Larger horizontal displacements are found below the rubble base for the sandy soil case in comparison with gravel and rocky soils. Moreover, the seismic motion configuration significantly affects the structure behavior even when the PGA is unchanged. The structure is significantly affected by the seismic action when it starts suddenly with a strong acceleration during the first seconds of the earthquake when the soil is sand. However, the contrary behavior occurs for gravel and rocky soils. Results also indicate that changing the seismic motion level and the tidal range have a minor impact on the structure behavior. The most critical section is located at the toe of the rubble base. Results show that the worst and best performances of the structure are obtained with sand and gravel soils, respectively. In most conditions, a controlled damage was obtained with a tilting< 1.5˚ and a normalized horizontal displacement <5% for PGA values< 0.5 g. Otherwise, failures would take place due to the seaward displacement of the quay wall structure.

Recommended Citation

Fawzy, Magdy Ali; Zeidan, Bakenaz A.; elhakem, Yasser; and Elshinnawy, Ahmed I. Dr. (2024) "Performance Evaluation of Gravity Quay Walls under Seismic Loads," Journal of Engineering Research: Vol. 8: Iss. 1, Article 11.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.aaru.edu.jo/erjeng/vol8/iss1/11