On the behaviour of quay walls in earthquakes

The failure of quay walls induced by earthquakes has been widely observed in the field. A study of the seismic response of anchored flexible quay walls based on the data of dynamic centrifuge model tests is reported, and the applicability and limitations of the widely used pseudo-static calculations are investigated. It is found that amplification of motion due to resonance may cause a greatly increased earthquake response over that predicted by a pseudo-static analysis. Resonant vibration may be a consequence of the deterioration of soil stiffness in the backfill, which is itself a result of cyclic loading and excess pore pressures induced by base shaking. This analysis is strongly supported by the data of centrifuge model tests. Principles for design are proposed, which by a model test are shown to be effective.