Proceedings of the 19th Conference on Current Researches in Geotechnical Engineering in Taiwan

Dynamic Response of a Levee System with Liquefaction

Manifestations and Cyclic Softening in 2016 Meinong
Earthquake

Yu-Wei Hwang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Geotechnical Engineering Group

Acknowledgments
• National Chung Hsing University
• Prof. Chi-Chin Tsai
• National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering:
• Jiun-Shiang Wang and Dr. Yuan-Chang Deng

Geotechnical Engineering Group 2

Outline
Geotechnical Engineering Group

1. Introduction
2. Nonlinear Deformation Analysis
• Model geometry and simplified soil deposit
• Modeling and Calibration of Soil Layers
3. Baseline Analysis Results
4. Development of Fragility Function for Rixin Levee
5. Takeaways and future research recommendations

Introduction 3
Introduction
Geotechnical Engineering Group

• Earthquake: 2016 Meinong Earthquake (Mw=6.3)

• Place: Tainan city, Taiwan

Tsai et al. 2022

Introduction 4
Introduction
Geotechnical Engineering Group

• Earthquake: 2016 Meinong Earthquake (Mw=6.3)

• Place: Tainan city, Taiwan

After Tsai et al. 2018

Introduction 5
Nonlinear Deformation Analysis
Geotechnical Engineering Group

• The levee geometry and the stratification of the soil profile were reported
by Tsai et al. (2022).

Introduction 6
Tsai et al. 2022
Nonlinear Deformation Analysis
Geotechnical Engineering Group

• The levee geometry and the stratification of the soil profile were reported
by Tsai et al. (2022).
• Two-dimensional finite element analyses were performed in OpenSEES
platform.

Introduction 7
Nonlinear Deformation Analysis
Geotechnical Engineering Group

• The PDMY03 and PM4Silt version 1.0 constitutive models are selected to
simulate the dynamic behavior of saturated, sand-like and clay-like soils.
• The PDMY03 and PM4Silt model parameters were calibrated to obtain the
target CSR to trigger 3% shear strain in 15 and 30 uniform cycles,
respectively.

• Simple shear test driver

Introduction 8
Nonlinear Deformation Analysis
Geotechnical Engineering Group

• The 1D input motion was obtained as the maximum rotated

component (RotD100) for PGA of two horizontal recordings at CHY058
station (2.78 km from the site) during the 2016 Meinong earthquake.

• Ground motion intensity map (unit: gal)

Tsai et al. 2022 Introduction 9

Baseline Analysis Results
Geotechnical Engineering Group

• The ground deformation was

localized at the free-face of the
sandy slope and shallow depth of
the clay layer.
• The clay-like layer experienced
localized shear strains, coincided
with zones where the high initial
shear stress distributed

Introduction 10
Baseline Analysis Results
Geotechnical Engineering Group

• The crest settlement was • Damage level classification (Kwak et al. 2016)
numerically computed as 90 cm, Crest
which was classified as damage Damage
settlement Description
level
level 3 based on the levee (cm)
damage level classification chart 0 0 No damage reported
from Kwak et al. (2016). 1 0-10 Slight damage

Moderate damage,
2 10-30
small lateral spreading

Severe damage, lateral

3 30-100
spreading

4 >100 Levee collapse

Introduction 11
Development of Fragility Function
Geotechnical Engineering Group

• The ground motion database

included 74 earthquake recordings
on outcropping rock that span PGA
= 0.09–1.12 g, PGV = 2.5-128 cm/s,
Ia = 0.02-20 m/s, CAV = 0.1-5 g-s,
and D5-95 = 1.7–32 s.

• Develop single IM predictive model:

ln 𝑆 = 0.3032 + 1.0557 ∙ l n( 𝑃𝐺𝑉ሻ

Introduction 12
Development of Fragility Function
Geotechnical Engineering Group

• To develop the PGV-based fragility • Damage level classification (Kwak et al. 2016)
functions for Rixin levee, the Crest
threshold settlement (St) for each Damage
settlement Description
level
damage level was determined as (cm)
the median value of the settlement 0 0 No damage reported
range. 1 0-10 Slight damage

Moderate damage,
• In a forward analysis, the probability 2 10-30
small lateral spreading
of exceeding threshold crest
settlement (St) can be determined 3 30-100
Severe damage, lateral
spreading
as:
ln 𝑆𝑡 − l n( 𝑆𝑛𝑢𝑚 ሻ
𝑃 𝑆 > 𝑆𝑡 = 1−𝜑 4 >100 Levee collapse
𝜎
Introduction 13
Development of Fragility Function
Geotechnical Engineering Group

• The damage level of the Rixin levee under the Meinong earthquake
scenario is likely to be classified as a severe damage level, which is
consistent with field observations.

Introduction 14
Takeaways and future research
Geotechnical Engineering Group
recommendations
• The localized soil liquefaction (even within a thin saturated sand layer)
along with cyclic softening of clay-like soils could encourage the
accumulation of strains associated with shear failure, and hence its
permanent ground deformation.

• Although FE analysis could not simulate the large deformations due to

flow-like failure, the numerically computed damage state was consistent
with the field observations.

• The FE framework is useful to explore the possible failure mechanisms

and develop the fragility framework.
Introduction 15
Takeaways and future research
Geotechnical Engineering Group
recommendations
• Further research is required to characterize the seismic performance of a
levee/embankment system with:
a) interlayered soil deposit
b) uncertainties related to the selection of soil parameters
c) groundwater table levels
d) ground motion characteristics

Introduction 16
 Proceedings of the 19th Conference on Current Researches in Geotechnical Engineering in Taiwan

Dynamic Response of a Levee System with Liquefaction

Manifestations and Cyclic Softening in 2016 Meinong
Earthquake

Yu-Wei Hwang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Geotechnical Engineering Group