Analysis of dynamic responses of an extended pile under centrifuge shaking table testing

This study uses SAP2000 to simulate the dynamic responses of an extended pile-soil model under centrifuge shaking table tests. The centrifuge models consisted of a pile partially embedded in dry sand under 80g centrifuge acceleration. The pile in the prototype was 35.44 m. The thickness of sand in the prototype was 25.4 m with relative density of about 80%. In the simulation, both the inertia effect from the structure mass and the kinematic effect of ground on the pile are considered. A pile-soil model connected to a shear beam model is established to account for both effects at the same time. The soil parameters used in the analyses, such as shear-wave velocity and damping ratio, are determined via transfer function analysis of preshaking tests prior to the formal events. Preliminary analyses show that the combined model can reasonably simulate structure acceleration and pile bending responses.