Numerical study on response characteristics of a caisson-type quay wall subjected to bidirectional ground shaking

The aim of this paper is to use numerical simulations to elucidate the effect of liquid-quay wall interaction on the seismic behavior of caisson-type quay wall subjected to real ground motions, assuming irrotational and inviscid flows. Three-dimensional, time-domain, dynamic analysis of a typical caisson-type quay wall is carried out using a coupled Lagrangian-Eulerian scheme, and six real excitation records are applied as ground vibration. The geometric complexity in the bounded caisson-seawater-backfill/foundation system is handled in the finite element method (FEM) using deformable 3D mesh where each structural medium can be discretized indepen-dently. The performance of the present coupled numerical analysis approach is validated against available nu-merical predictions, exhibiting good agreement with benchmark data. The response is appraised in terms of excess pore water pressure generated in the porous media, soil-sea-structure's residual displacements, and induced hydrodynamic pressures during the earthquake excitation. The numerical procedure demonstrates that excitation frequency spectrum in different intensity altitudes plays a crucial role in the behavior of quay walls and special attention must be given to gain a better understanding on the dynamic responses of such coupled systems.