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Evaluation of the Virtual Fixed-Point Method for Seismic Design of Pile-Supported Structures

  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Published:
KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Aims and scope

Abstract

Traditionally, in the codes for seismic performance evaluation of pile-supported structures (PSS), the piles are modeled using either a virtual fixed-point (VFP) method or a soil spring method, which can additionally simulate soil-pile interactions. The applicability and accuracy of the VFP method, which is originated from statically loaded piles, to evaluate piles under seismic loads has not been sufficiently explored, despite the popularity of the technique. Thus, this study evaluates the applicability of the VFP in the seismic design of PSS through pseudo-static and response spectrum analyses (RSA). Our results indicated that there was a significant difference in between the experimentally derived and VFP model-derived values for the natural period, acceleration, and moment response of the structure. This difference occurs because the soil-pile interaction is simulated through the fixed end in the VFP model.

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Abbreviations

a :

Horizontal acceleration of the upper plate

C a :

Dimensionless seismic coefficient

D :

Pile diameter

EI :

Bending stiffness of the pile

F :

Inertial force of the structure

g :

Gravitational acceleration

h :

Thickness of each soil layer within the soil spring model

I :

Importance coefficient according to the importance of the structure

k :

Stiffness of the elastic soil spring

K h :

Coefficient of the horizontal subgrade reaction

N :

Average N-value of the ground

n h :

Constant of the horizontal subgrade reaction

W :

Weight of the structure

z :

Depth of the soil spring under the virtual ground surface

1/β :

Distance of the VFP below the ground surface

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant (code: 21SCIP-C151438-03) from the Construction Technologies Program funded by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Korean government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Civil Engineering, Korea Army Academy at Yeong-cheon, Yeongcheon, 38900, Korea

    Jung Won Yun

  2. Dept. of Geotechnical Engineering Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Goyang, 10223, Korea

    Jin Tae Han & Jong Kwan

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  1. Jung Won Yun
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  2. Jin Tae Han
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Correspondence to Jin Tae Han.

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Yun, J.W., Han, J.T. & Kwan, J. Evaluation of the Virtual Fixed-Point Method for Seismic Design of Pile-Supported Structures. KSCE J Civ Eng 26, 596–605 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-021-0422-1

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