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A High-Fidelity Seismic Intensity Measure to Assess Dynamic Liquefaction in Tailings

Date and Time: TBC

Abstract:

Deformation analyses of tailings dams under dynamic conditions require using earthquake records as input loading. These records must represent the local seismicity through ground motion power indicators denominated intensity measures (IM). The ability and accuracy to describe the characteristics of a seismic record play a fundamental role in earthquake engineering and damage assessment of geotechnical facilities. None of the existing IMs represents a robust enough predictor of a given seismic demand (e.g., residual displacements). Different signals may generate a wide spectrum of results, with various effects that could produce insignificant damage to global failure depending on the structure. Usual engineering procedures select a substantial number of records to overcome this limitation and develop a large set of numerical simulations to limit the results' uncertainty, which becomes a time-consuming approach. This paper presents a new high-fidelity seismic IM to perform a more accurate ground motion selection, which captures the spectral properties of the record for the frequency content that the dam does not filter. This IM represents a way to estimate beforehand a seismic demand, expressed, for instance, in terms of displacements.  

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Co-authors

Roberto Cier, PhD (Civil Engineering), BSc (Civil Engineering), AGS, ISSMGE, AusIMM - Consultant

Roberto Cier is experienced in numerical modelling and design of geotechnical structures in the civil (foundations, piles, slopes, reinforced walls, etc.) and mining (open pit and underground operations) industries. He has conducted dynamic analysis and seismic evaluation performance of earth structures, tailing dams and mine waste dumps, and supported the development of solutions for civil and mining engineering projects, from conceptual studies to detailed designs. Roberto has supervised geotechnical fieldworks involving in situ tests and characterisation. He is competent in analysing soil laboratory results to determine their geomechanical properties.