Centrifugal and Analytical Modeling of a Buried Flexible Culvert

摘要

This report summarizes one phase of the research on the modeling of buried structures by centrifuge testing and by numerical methods. Testing in the centrifuge makes it possible to simulate the gravity-induced overburden pressure effects that dictate the soil stiffness which in turn determine the soil-structure phenomena. Scaled model testing in the centrifuge is used in the project to validate analytical methods commonly used to analyze soil-structure interaction problems. Data obtained by testing a 4-in diam. pipe at 50 g under a static surface pressure loading consist of radial deflections and strains measured around the pipe. These experiments were analyzed by a finite element program in which different constitutive models were incorporated, including a non-linear elastic model and an elasto-plastic model. On the basis of comparison with centrifuge test data, the suitability and accuracy of the different analyses were assessed.