Showing papers by "G. R. Dodagoudar published in 2010"

Use of Surface Waves in Statistical Correlations of Shear Wave Velocity and Penetration Resistance of Chennai Soils

Abstract: Shear wave velocity (V s) is one of the most important input parameter to represent the stiffness of the soil layers. It is preferable to measure V s by in situ wave propagation tests, however it is often not economically feasible to perform the tests at all locations. Hence, a reliable correlation between V s and standard penetration test blow counts (SPT-N) would be a considerable advantage. This paper presents the development of empirical correlations between V s and SPT-N value for different categories of soil in Chennai city characterized by complex variation of soil conditions. The extensive shear wave velocity measurement was carried out using Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) technique at the sites where the SPT-N values are available. The bender element test is performed to compare the field MASW test results for clayey soils. The correlations between shear wave velocity and SPT-N with and without energy corrections were developed for three categories of soil: all soils, sand and clay. The proposed correlations between uncorrected and energy corrected SPT-N were compared with regression equations proposed by various other investigators and found that the developed correlations exhibit good prediction performance. The proposed uncorrected and energy corrected SPT-N relationships show a slight variation in the statistical analysis indicating that both the uncorrected and energy corrected correlations can predict shear wave velocity with equal accuracy. It is also found that the soil type has a little effect on these correlations below SPT-N value of about 10.

Group interaction effects on laterally loaded piles in clay.

Abstract: This paper presents the results of static lateral load tests carried out on 1×2 , 2×2 , 1×4 , and 3×3 model pile groups embedded in soft clay. Tests were carried out on piles with length to diameter ratios of 15, 30, and 40 and three to nine pile diameter spacing. The effects of pile spacing, number of piles, embedment length, and configuration on pile-group interaction were investigated. Group efficiency, critical spacing, and p multipliers were evaluated from the experimental study. The experimental results have been compared with those obtained from the program GROUP. It has been found that the lateral capacity of piles in 3×3 group at three diameter spacing is about 40% less than that of the single pile. Group interaction causes 20% increase in the maximum bending moment in piles of the groups with three diameter spacing in comparison to the single pile. Results indicate substantial difference in p multipliers of the corresponding rows of the linear and square pile groups. The predicted field group be...

Experimental Investigations on the Behaviour of Pile Groups in Clay Under Lateral Cyclic Loading

Abstract: This paper presents the results of two-way cyclic lateral load tests carried out on model pile groups embedded in soft marine clay. The tests are conducted on 1 × 2, 2 × 2 and 3 × 3 pile groups having length to diameter ratio (L/D) of 15, 30 and 40 with the spacing to diameter ratio (S/D) of 3, 5, 7 and 9. The experimental results are presented in the form of load–deflection curves and bending moment profiles. Cyclic group efficiency, critical spacing, critical cyclic load level and cyclic p-multipliers are evaluated. It is found that the lateral capacity of the 3 × 3 group reduces by about 42% after 50 cycles of loading. The cyclic p-multipliers of 3 × 3 pile group are found to be 0.41, 0.25 and 0.29 for leading, intermediate and rear rows respectively. The test results are compared with the numerical analysis carried out by p–y method using GROUP program. The analysis carried out with experimentally evaluated p-multipliers predicts load—deflection and bending profiles of pile groups reasonably well, but underestimates the depth to maximum bending moment by about 15%.

Finite element reliability analysis of reinforced retaining walls

Abstract: This paper presents the reliability analysis of reinforced retaining wall using finite element method. Response surface approach is used to approximate the performance function and a first-order reliability method (FORM) is used to evaluate the reliability index. In the analysis, displacement response of the reinforced retaining wall is considered as performance function and the corresponding reliability index is evaluated with the aid of a spreadsheet. Uncertainties associated with the soil and reinforcement properties are explicitly taken into account in the analysis. A parametric sensitivity analysis has been performed to bring out the effect of important uncertain parameters by evaluating the sensitivity of the reliability index with respect to each of the uncertain parameters. Results of the response surface method coupled with finite element analysis show the ease and successful implementation of the reliability analysis procedure for the reinforced retaining walls.

Meshfree analysis of two‐dimensional contaminant transport through unsaturated porous media using EFGM

Abstract: The development of numerical methods for modelling contaminant transport in the subsurface is of major importance in view of the numerous applications in the contaminant hydrogeology and geoenvironmental engineering. Conventional mesh-based numerical methods have some difficulties when dealing with contaminant transport problems wherein high advective velocities, low dispersivities and/or high contrast in dispersivity are involved. The present study aims at contributing to the numerical study of two-dimensional contaminant transport thorough unsaturated porous media using meshfree technique, namely element-free Galerkin method (EFGM). In the EFGM, an approximate solution is constructed entirely in terms of a set of nodes and no characterization of the interrelationship of the nodes is needed. The EFGM employs moving least squares approximants to approximate the function and uses the Lagrange multiplier method for imposing the essential boundary conditions. van Genuchten model is used for describing the hydrodynamic properties of the unsaturated porous media. MATLAB code is developed to obtain the numerical solution. Three numerical examples are presented and the results are compared with those obtained from the finite element method. The EFGM has generated stable and convergent results for advection-dominated transport problems. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Two-dimensional meshfree modelling of contaminant transport through saturated porous media using RPIM

Abstract: This paper presents a new numerical tool to model the two-dimensional contaminant transport through saturated porous media using a meshfree method, called radial point interpolation method (RPIM) with polynomial reproduction. In RPIM, an approximate solution is constructed entirely in terms of a set of nodes and no characterisation of the interrelationship of the nodes is needed. The advection–dispersion equation with sorption is considered to illustrate the applicability of the RPIM. The Galerkin weak form of the governing equation is formulated using 2D meshfree shape functions constructed using thin plate spline radial basis functions. MATLAB code is developed to obtain the numerical solution. Three numerical examples are presented and the results are compared with those obtained from the finite element method and analytical solutions. In order to test the practical applicability and performance of the RPIM, two case studies of contaminant transport through landfill liners are presented. A good agreement is obtained between the results of the RPIM and the field investigation data.

A radial point interpolation method for 1D contaminant transport modelling through landfill liners

Abstract: In the framework of meshfree methods, a new methodology is developed based on radial point interpolation method (RPIM). This methodology is applied to a one-dimensional contaminant transport modelling in the saturated porous media. The one-dimensional form of advection-dispersion equation involving reactive contaminant is considered in the analysis. The Galerkin weak form of the governing equation is formulated using 1D meshfree shape functions constructed using thin plate spline radial basis functions. MATLAB code is developed to obtain the numerical solution. Numerical examples representing various phenomena, which occur during migration of contaminants, are presented to illustrate the applicability of the proposed method and the results are compared with those obtained from the analytical and finite element solutions. The proposed RPIM has generated results with no oscillations and they are insensitive to Peclet constraints. In order to test the practical applicability and performance of the RPIM, three case studies of contaminant transport through the landfill liners are presented. A good agreement is obtained between the results of the RPIM and the field investigation data.