Centrifuge Simulations of Large-Scale Shaking Table Tests: Case Studies

This paper documents three case studies that involve dynamic centrifuge tests that simulated large-scale shaking table tests on soil–pile-structure systems. The large-scale shaking table tests were performed using the world’s largest laminar shear box with depth of 6 m and plan dimensions of 11 m and 3.5 m. Life-size steel and prestressed concrete piles were used in these tests. The large-scale tests involved intense shaking that produced strong nonlinear stress–strain effects and degradation of soil stiffness due to liquefaction in the foundation soil models. The dynamic centrifuge tests treated the large-scale models as their prototypes. Only essential information about the large-scale test models and the testing conditions were available to design and perform the dynamic centrifuge tests. The three case studies showed that carefully designed performed centrifuge tests could reproduce the key features of the responses of the large-scale models. However, some differences were also found in the results from these two types of tests.