Experimental Investigations of the Seismic Response of a Large Underground Structure at a Soft Loess Site

Abstract

Based on an underground structure located at a soft loess site in Xi’an as the engineering background, this paper investigated a seismic response and damage model of subway stations at a soft loess site using a large-scale shaking table test, considering the different characteristics of ground motions. The quantitative analysis of the acceleration response and the seismic subsidence of the soft loess site were subjected to different earthquake excitations; based on the experimental results and the corresponding analysis, the development and distribution of seismic structural damage were studied, and the damage mechanism of underground structures in a soft loess area under a strong earthquake was explored. The results indicate that the peak accelerations of the site soil first remained unchanged then increased significantly along the soil height, and the amplification effect of the acceleration response was the most significant at the soil surface. The soft loess soil underwent significant subsidence, and the underground structure was raised compared to both sides of the cover soil; the collapsibility of the soft loess soil was sensitive to strong earthquakes with vertical components. The underground structures in soft loess suffered heavy damage, which rapidly entered the elastic–plastic stage. The composite effect of the collapsibility and vertical seismic excitation impaired the load-carrying capacity of the middle columns, and the strong horizontal seismic excitation enlarged the lateral force and accelerated structural damage development; the underground structure reached failure when plastic damage expended most of the middle columns and structural joints. These results are significant for the seismic design of underground structures in adverse soil conditions.