REDUCTION OF BEARING CAPACITY OF BREAKWATER MOUND BY TSUNAMI-INDUCED SEEPAGE FORCE

Abstract

 Tsunami generates water level difference in front of and behind a caisson-type breakwater, and it induces seepage force acting on the mound. Although it has been found that seepage force reduces the bearing capacity, a specific reduction ratio and the method to calculate the stability under seepage has not been clarified yet. The present study investigated the effect of seepage force by comparing two different tests: a loading test and a compound test of loading and seepage. Furthermore, the model tests were simulated using the finite element method. The two different tests showed the same failure mode and the reduction ratio of the bearing capacity of 10 ~ 16 % due to seepage. The analysis could reproduce the same failure mechanism as the model tests, and it could also simulate the limit load.