Seismic Analysis Method for Underground Structure in Loess Area Based on the Modified Displacement-Based Method

Abstract

At present, the seismic design research of underground structures in loess areas is lagging behind compared with practical engineering requirements. The selection of seismic calculation methods and parameters does not consider the influences of the special geological conditions in various regions, so their usefulness is limited. Based on the above problems, a modified displacement-based method (DBM) was proposed and its application was compared with the most commonly used methods of analysis (force-based design method, displacement-based design method, detailed equivalent static analysis numerical method, and the full dynamic time-history method). The results were also validated by considering data from shaking table tests conducted on a case study involving the underground Feitian Road subway station in Xi’an. The results show that compared with DBM, the average accuracy of the modified DBM technique is improved by 41.65%. The modified DBM offers good accuracy, simplicity in its model, a rapid analysis time, and easy convergence.