Yes / When ocean waves propagate over porous seabed, they cause variations of the pore pressure within seabed, leading to the possible wave attenuation and soil liquefaction. In order to advance and improve our understanding of the process of wave-induced seabed liquefaction and its impact on wave propagation, systematical experiments are carried out in a wave flume with a soil basin filled with silt. Both the pore pressures and water surface elevations are measured simultaneously, while the seabed liquefaction is videotaped using a high-speed camera. Laboratory measurements show that the pore pressure in surface layer mainly oscillates over time, while the wave period averaged pore pressure has little change. In the deep layer, however, the wave period averaged value of the pore pressure builds up dramatically. The results show that the wave height decreases rapidly along the direction of wave propagation when seabed liquefaction occurs. Such a wave attenuation is greatly enhanced when the liquefaction depth further increases. The experiments also demonstrate that the conditions (wave height and wave period) of incident waves have significant impacts on the wave-induced pore pressures, liquefaction depth and wave attenuation in a silt bed. / National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51479053), the 111 Project (Grant No. B12032), the marine renewable energy research project of State Oceanic Administration (GHME2015GC01), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central University, China (Grant No. 2013B31614), the Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province Plans to Graduate Research and Innovation (Grant No. B1504708), and Open Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University (Grant No: 2016491011).

La liquéfaction des sols saturés lors des séismes est l’un des problèmes les plus importants auxquels sont confrontés les ingénieurs. Il n’y a guère eu de séisme majeur sans au moins quelques cas de liquéfaction. Des tassements, des basculements de bâtiments, des écoulements latéraux, des cônes de liquéfaction et des instabilités de pentes, sont certaines de ses manifestations. La conception sismique des centrales nucléaires et autres installations critiques comprend systématiquement une évaluation du risque de liquéfaction.Dans ce cadre, des méthodes de nature entièrement empirique sont couramment utilisées en ingénierie. Ces approches procurent des marges à la conception et des limitations d’utilisation. Pour exploiter ces marges en situation de réévaluation, on a recours à des calculs transitoires non linéaires avancés dans lesquels on doit modéliser finement la loi de comportement du sol pour mettre en évidence les montées de pression interstitielle.Ces derniers calculs sont coûteux en termes de temps et de compétences numériques. L’objectif de ce travail de recherche est notamment de réduire les conservatismes en vigueur lors de l’utilisation de la méthode simplifiée sans pour autant mettre en œuvre d’emblée les méthodes les plus sophistiqués. On propose pour cela une méthode de complexité intermédiaire qui élargit l’applicabilité des modèles semi-empiriques pour une analyse plus fine du risque sismique.Dans un premier temps, en partant d’un calcul linéaire équivalent conventionnel, une nouvelle approche pour la prise en compte de la montée de pression interstitielle est proposée sous le nom « X-ELM ». Le modèle de comportement employé est basé sur la relation entre la pression interstitielle et les déformations volumiques plastiques. La nouvelle approche «X-ELM » est utilisée pour modéliser la réponse des sols pour le séisme de Tōhoku (Mw=9.0) à la ville d’Urayasu au Japon. Le modèle a été appliqué sur douze profils de sols différents. L’étude de ces cas rend possible la validation du modèle par comparaison des résultats des calculs aux observations in situ. Le modèle peut donc être considéré comme un outil fiable pour la prédiction de déclenchement de liquéfaction des sols saturés.Ensuite, un outil de prédiction rapide a été conçu en se basant sur des approximations de processus aléatoire, sur les propriétés mécaniques de base du sol et sur les caractéristiques du chargement sismique. Outre son ampleur, une caractéristique importante du signal sismique d’entrée est sa durée qui peut conduire à de fortes non linéarités et à un état de liquéfaction étendu. En considérant donc la durée de phase forte, le spectre de réponse, la fréquence propre du modèle et les caractéristiques de densification du sol, l’outil de prédiction proposé procure des estimations rapides du taux de montée de pression interstitielle et du tassement pré-liquéfaction sans devoir exécuter des calculs transitoires.Enfin, un modèle 2D de barrage est étudié, en examinant l’influence de la montée de pression interstitielle et celle des déformations de cisaillement sur la réponse sismique de l’ouvrage. Un calcul linéaire équivalent adapté aux situations bidimensionnelles est élaboré et le prédicteur est employé pour évaluer la montée de pression interstitielle. On compare les résultats de la simulation aux observations in situ, piézométriques et accélérométriques.En conclusion, ce travail de recherche fournit des méthodes et outils de calculs numériques performants et accessibles aux ingénieurs pour l’évaluation sismique des profils de sols et des ouvrages en terre tels que digues ou barrages / The liquefaction of saturated soils during earthquakes is one of the most important problems facing engineers. There has hardly been a major earthquake without at least some cases of liquefaction. Settlements, tilting of buildings, lateral flows, sand boilings and slope instabilities have been some of its manifestations. The seismic design of nuclear power plants and other critical facilities systematically includes a liquefaction risk assessment.In this context, fully empirical methods are commonly used in engineering. These approaches provide design margins and limitations of use. To exploit these margins in a re-evaluation situation, we use advanced nonlinear transient calculations in which the soil behavior must be finely modeled to highlight the pore-water pressure build-up. These last calculations are expensive in terms of time and numerical skills. The objective of this research work is to reduce the conservatisms in force when using the simplified method without necessarily implementing the most sophisticated methods from the outset. To this end, we propose a method of intermediate complexity that broadens the applicability of semi-empirical models for a more detailed analysis of seismic risk.First, starting from a conventional equivalent linear calculation, a new approach for taking into account excess pore pressure is proposed under the name "X-ELM". The behavioral model employed is based on the relationship between pore pressure and plastic volumetric deformations. The new "X-ELM" approach is used to model soil response in the city of Urayasu,Japan during the Tohoku earthquake (Mw = 9.0). The model has been applied to twelve different soil profiles. The study of these cases makes possible the validation of themodel by comparing the results of the calculations with the observations in situ. The model can therefore be considered as a reliable tool for the prediction of liquefaction triggering of saturated soils.Then, a prediction tool was designed based on random process approximations, the basic mechanical properties of the soil and the characteristics of the seismic loading. In addition to its magnitude, an important feature of the input seismic signal is its duration which can lead to strong nonlinearities and an extended liquefaction state. Considering the strong phase duration, the response spectrum, the natural frequency of the model and the characteristics of soil compaction, this tool provides fast estimations of the rate of pore pressure build-up and pre-liquefaction settlement without having to perform transient calculations.Finally, a 2D dam model is studied, by examining the influence of excess pore pressure and that of the shear strains on the seismic response of the structure. An equivalent linear computation adapted to two-dimensional situations is elaborated and the predictor is used to evaluate pore pressure increase. Simulation results are compared with in situ, piezometric and accelerometric observations.In conclusion, this research work provides methods and tools of numerical computation that are efficient and accessible to engineers for the seismic evaluation of soil profiles and earth structures such as dikes or dams

A major concern for geotechnical engineers is the ability to predict how a soil will react to large ground motions produced by earthquakes. Of all the different types of soil, liquefiable soils present some of the greatest challenges. The ability to quantify the degradation of a soil's shear modulus as it undergoes liquefaction would help engineers design more reliably and economically. This thesis uses ground motions recorded by an array of downhole accelerometers on Port Island, Japan, during the 1995 Kobe Earthquake, to quantify the shear modulus of sand as it liquefies. It has been shown that the shear modulus of sand decreases significantly as it liquefies, apparently decreasing in proportion to the increasing excess pore water pressure ratio (Ru). When completely liquefied, the shear modulus of sand (Ru = 1.0) for a relative density of 40 to 50% is approximately 15% of the high-strain modulus of the sand in its non-liquefied state, or 1% of its initial low-strain value. Presented in this thesis is an approach to modeling the shear modulus degradation of sand as it liquefies. This approach, called the "degrading shear modulus backbone curve method" reasonably predicts the hysteretic shear stress behavior of the liquefied sand. The shear stresses and ground accelerations computed using this method reasonably matches those recorded at the Port Island Downhole Array (PIDA) site. The degrading shear modulus backbone method is recommended as a possible method for conducting ground response analyses at sites with potentially liquefiable soils.

This thesis presents validation and application of advanced soil constitutive models in cases of seismic loading conditions. Firstly, results of three advanced soil constitutive models are compared with examples of shear stack experimental data for free field response in dry sand for shear and compression wave propagation. Higher harmonic generation in acceleration records, observed in experimental works, is shown to be possibly the result of soil nonlinearity and fast elastic unloading waves. This finding is shown to have high importance on structural response, real earthquake records and reliability of conventionally employed numerical tools. Finally, short study of free field response in saturated soil reveals similar findings on higher harmonic generation. Secondly, two advanced soil constitutive models are used, and their performance is assessed based on examples of experimental data on piles in dry sand in order to validate the ability of the constitutive models to simulate seismic soil-structure interaction. The validation includes various experimental configurations and input motions. The discussion on the results focuses on constitutive and numerical modelling aspects. Some improvements in the formulations of the models are suggested based on the detailed investigation. Finally, the application of one of the advanced soil constitutive models is shown in regard to temporary natural frequency wandering observed in structures subjected to earthquakes. Results show that pore pressure generated during seismic events causes changes in soil stiffness, thus affecting the natural frequency of the structure during and just after the seismic event. Parametric studies present how soil permeability, soil density, input motion or a type of structure may affect the structural natural frequency and time for its return to the initial value. In addition, a time history with an aftershock is analysed to investigate the difference in structural response during the earthquake and the aftershock.