Centrifuge Modelling of foundations subjected to cyclic loading
Résumé
Soil-structure interaction is one of the main topics that may be studied using centrifuge modeling technique. Small-scale models of instrumented foundation subjected to cyclic loading at the required g-level give data for a better understanding of several configurations of loading. An overview of centrifuge modeling and its limitations are presented in the first part, including the scaling laws and the scale effects. Then experiments performed in the IFSTTAR geo-centrifuge are presented. The case of a building founded on shallow foundation in clay and subjected to horizontal loading is a first attempt to simulate the effect of an earthquake. The last part is about deep foundations installed in sand, subjected to vertical or horizontal cyclic loading. In each example the experiment is detailed and some illustrative results are presented.