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Numerical modelling of the seismic response of a tunnel–soil–aboveground building system in Catania (Italy)

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Abstract

Seismic design of structures is commonly performed by using design spectra by national technical codes or, in some “advanced” designs, by using design acceleration time-histories given by 1D free-field soil response analyses. These procedures can lead to erroneous evaluations of the “real” inputs, which hit aboveground and underground structures due to complex interactions involving the soil and the structures. Great attention has recently been devoted to separated tunnel–soil interaction analyses and soil-aboveground structure interaction analyses. Analyses involving tunnel–soil–aboveground structures (full-coupled systems) are still very rare. The present paper deals with the dynamic interaction that occurs between a tunnel, the soil and an aboveground building, it also investigates the effects of the tunnel on the response of the soil and/or of the building and vice versa. The study has been performed using full-coupled FEM modelling. A case-history of the Catania (Italy) underground network has been analysed. A cross-section of the underground network in Catania including an aboveground building has been modelled, by studying its behaviour during the expected scenario earthquake (M S  = 7.0–7.4). The authors have investigated the seismic behaviour of the system in terms of acceleration time-histories, amplification ratios, Fourier amplitude spectra, as well as seismic bending moments and axial forces of the tunnel lining.

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Abbreviations

a :

Acceleration

C 1 :

Coefficient for the evaluation of the predominant period of the building

d :

Tunnel diameter

D :

Damping ratio

D l :

Damping ratio of tunnel

D s :

Damping ratio of soil

D e :

Epicenter distance

E s :

Soil Young elastic modulus

E s0 :

Soil Young elastic modulus at small-strain

E b :

Building Young elastic modulus

E l :

Lining Young elastic modulus

F :

Flexibility ratio

f 1 :

First fundamental frequency of the input

f 2 :

Second fundamental frequency of the input

f s :

Natural frequency of the system

F :

Flexibility ratio

G s :

Soil shear modulus

G s0 :

Soil shear modulus at small strain

H :

Soil deposit height

h :

Tunnel depth

h b :

Building height from the foundation level

I l :

Lining moment of inertia

LVa :

Rock

LVr :

Volcanic soil

M :

Dynamic bending moment

M max :

Maximum dynamic bending moment

Ms :

Earthquake magnitude

N :

Dynamic axial force

N max :

Maximum dynamic axial force

PHA :

Peak horizontal acceleration

PSa :

Pleistocenic gray-blue clay

PSs :

Silty sand

r :

Tunnel radius

R :

Radial component of input

R a :

Amplification ratio

R* :

Anthropic soil

S s :

Soil amplification factor

t :

Time

T :

Transversal component of input

T b :

Building predominant period

T s :

Soil predominant period

V s :

Shear waves velocity

u 2 :

Horizontal axis in the mesh

u 3 :

Vertical axis in the mesh

y :

Horizontal axis

z :

Vertical depth

Z :

Vertical component of input

α :

Ratio of the design ground acceleration on type A ground to the acceleration of gravity

α r :

First Rayleigh damping factor

β r :

Second Rayleigh damping factor

β :

Distance of the building vertical axis from the tunnel vertical axis

∆ :

Soil unit weight

γ max :

Maximum shear strain at tunnel depth

θ :

Tunnel centre angle

θ 1 :

Rotation of the mesh nodes around the axis orthogonal to the investigated plane

γ s :

Soil Poisson ratio

ν b :

Building Poisson ratio

ν l :

Lining Poisson ratio

ν :

Angular frequency

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy

    Glenda Abate & Maria Rossella Massimino

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  1. Glenda Abate
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  2. Maria Rossella Massimino
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Correspondence to Maria Rossella Massimino.

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Abate, G., Massimino, M.R. Numerical modelling of the seismic response of a tunnel–soil–aboveground building system in Catania (Italy). Bull Earthquake Eng 15, 469–491 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-016-9973-9

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