Seismic Performance of Earth Embankment Using Simple and Advanced Numerical Approaches

To fully implement seismic performance-based design for geotechnical structures, it is necessary to be able to correctly identify relevant earthquake records for the site in question in conjunction with advanced constitutive models that can accurately predict soil deformation resulting from these dynamic actions. In this paper, a numerical study is conducted to assess the seismic response of an earth dam using different approaches ranging from simple regression models to advanced numerical analyses. A kinematic hardening constitutive model is used to describe the mechanical behavior of the involved clayey soils. Five ground motions are chosen based on an existing hazard assessment to determine the relevant peak ground acceleration and frequency content at the dam site. Two design levels are considered in the evaluation of the seismic response of the earth dam. A comparison in terms of permanent accumulated displacements during the shaking obtained by the different approaches is presented highlighting their limitations and advantages.