NEESR Planning/Collaborative Research: Liquefaction Experiments and Analysis Projects (LEAP) for Validation

该规划项目的主要目标是为后续的NEESR2提案奠定基础并进行初步研究和准备活动，以产生高质量的实验数据，并验证和发展对用于液化分析的计算工具的信心。该项目的最终目标是通过综合离心机实验和数值模拟，提高目前对液化现象及其对民用基础设施系统影响的理解和计算预测能力。这个规划项目的基本要素包括：a)规划讲习班，以确定NEESR2项目随后的离心机试验中的一组边界值问题和所选择的材料（例如，砂的类型）；b)广泛而仔细地审查和汇编NEEShub和其他相关数据库中现有的实验数据；c)初步的c类数值模拟，以开始评估研究界和岩土工程实践中目前可用的建模能力的进程；d)设计一系列离心机试验，模拟一系列复杂程度不断增加的岩土工程实践中感兴趣的边界值问题；e)利用我们在英国、日本和中国的国际合作者将进行的离心机试验结果的预测练习研讨会；f)开发验证指标、工具和协议，以评估计算模型的可靠性。该规划项目和后续的NEESR2项目将提供高质量的验证数据，这将减少对某些常规实验的需求，从而允许更多的资源用于探索土壤行为新特征的实验。反过来，经过验证的数值模拟技术和对其预测能力的高度信任将减少该行业对大规模昂贵实验的依赖。该项目将提供一个难得的机会，与国际社会就一个对国际岩土工程界具有关键价值的研究课题进行合作。三名研究生将参与该项目，并将在可液化土壤的物理和数值模拟方面进行培训。这三所机构将继续并加强其目前的外联努力，以吸引代表性不足的群体成员作为研究生参与该项目。该项目将建立一个实验数据集和一个正式的协议来验证我们的模拟工具，以充分阐明它们的能力和局限性。这些功能和限制对于基础设施的智能管理和维护至关重要。该项目的数据将存档，并通过NEES数据储存库向公众提供。该奖项是国家减少地震灾害计划（NEHRP）的一部分。

The main objective of this planning project is to lay the groundwork and to conduct preliminary research and preparation activities for a subsequent NEESR2 proposal to produce a high quality experimental data, as well as validate and develop confidence in the computational tools used for liquefaction analysis. The ultimate goal of the project is to advance the current understanding and computational predictive capabilities of the liquefaction phenomenon and its consequences on civil infrastructure systems through integrated centrifuge experiments and numerical simulations. The essential elements of this planning project consist of: a) a planning workshop to identify a group of boundary value problems and the material(s) of choice (e.g., type of sand) in the subsequent centrifuge tests of the NEESR2 project, b) an extensive and careful review and compilation of the experimental data available in the NEEShub and other relevant databases, c) preliminary class-C numerical simulations to begin the process of assessing the modeling capabilities currently available in the research community and geotechnical practice, d) design of a series of centrifuge tests that simulate a set of boundary value problems of interest to geotechnical practice with an increasing order of complexity, e) a prediction exercise symposium that leverages the results of the centrifuge tests that will be conducted by our international collaborators in the UK, Japan, and China, and f) development of validation metrics, tools, and protocols to assess the reliability of computational models.This planning project and the follow-on NEESR2 project will provide high quality validation data that will reduce the need for certain routine experiments and hence allow more resources to be used on experiments that explore new features of soil behavior. In turn, validated numerical modeling techniques and high confidence in their predictive capabilities will reduce the dependence of the profession on large scale costly experiments. The project will provide a rare opportunity for collaboration with the international community on a research topic that is of critical value to the international geotechnical engineering community. Three graduate students will participate in the project and will be trained in physical and numerical modeling of liquefiable soils. The three institutions will continue and build on their current outreach efforts to attract members of under-represented groups to participate in the project as graduate students. The project will establish an experimental dataset and a formal protocol for validation of our simulation tools to fully elucidate their capabilities and limitations. These capabilities and limitations are essential for intelligent management and maintenance of our infrastructure. Data from this project will be archived and made available to the public through the NEES data repository. This award is part of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP).