SEISMIC DESIGN OF LATERALLY LOADED PILES IN FROZEN GROUND

Qiang Li1, Zhaohui Yang2, Jacob Horazdovsky3, Leroy Hulsey4 and Elmer Marx5
1)

Graduate Student, School of Engineering, University of Alaska, Anchorage, AK, USA Professor, School of Engineering, University of Alaska, Anchorage, AK, USA 3) Graduate Student, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA 4) Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA 5) Bridge Design Engineer, State of Alaska DOT&PF, Juneau, AK, USA
2)*

Abstract: Frozen soils, including both those seasonally frozen as well as permafrost, exist extensively in Alaska and other cold regions. During past earthquakes, extensive damages were observed in deep foundations in the ground, and frozen ground appears to be the direct cause of at least some of those damages. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of seasonally frozen soil on deep foundations during earthquakes, as well as to recommend simplified tools for seismic design practices. Data from a large deformation test of reinforced concrete filled steel-pipe piles embedded in deep seasonally frozen silts were used to evaluate the design parameters of the fixity depth approach, which include depth-tomaximum-moment, depth-to-fixity, and analytical plastic hinge length. In addition, the test data were used to calibrate a sophisticated Finite Element (FE) model, which was then used to conduct a parametric study assessing the effects of variation of frozen soil depth on the fixity depth approach parameters. The fixity depth approach parameters for various frozen soil depths can be used to account for the effects of seasonally frozen soil on pile lateral behavior in seismic design practices.

Key Words: Frozen Soil; Fixity Depth Approach; Deep Foundation; Earthquake; Finite Element Model

Corresponding Author: Fax: (907) 786-1079; E-mail: afzy@uaa.alaska.edu