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Pile-supported Wharves Subjected to Combined Inertial and Lateral Ground Deformation Loads in Earthquakes
Principal Investigator:
Arash Khosravifar, Portland State University
Summary:
This project will improve the resilience of maritime transportation systems in earthquakes, including ports, terminals, and Navy facilities which are key components of economic prosperity, emergency response, and national security. In addition, ports are often designated centers for post-earthquake staging and relief efforts. However, seismic evaluation studies of port structures often encounter a...
This project will improve the resilience of maritime transportation systems in earthquakes, including ports, terminals, and Navy facilities which are key components of economic prosperity, emergency response, and national security. In addition, ports are often designated centers for post-earthquake staging and relief efforts. However, seismic evaluation studies of port structures often encounter a knowledge gap related to soil-foundation-structure interaction in soils that are susceptible to liquefaction, a phenomenon that causes severe softening of soils in earthquakes. The knowledge gap becomes even wider for foundations that are supported in silty soils (commonly encountered at port facilities) as there is no consensus in the geotechnical community on how to predict the behavior of silty soils in earthquakes. This research will address these knowledge gaps by performing a series of advanced physical experiments and numerical simulations. The findings of this research will result in safer, more resilient maritime transportation systems. Close collaborations with industry partners will ensure that the knowledge produced in this study will benefit the broader engineering community. Characterizing the behavior of silty soils in earthquakes will have a significant effect in assessing, and reducing, the risks associated with an imminent Magnitude 9 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. with substantial economical and societal impacts.
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Project Details
| Project Type: | Research |
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| Project Status: | In Progress |
| End Date: | September 01, 2025 |