Soil-Structure Interaction and structures

The objective of this research focus is to develop digital tools for understanding and accounting for Soil-Structure Interaction in order to assess the vulnerability of structures subjected to static (monotonic/cyclic) or seismic loads.

The focus will be on developing both refined modeling strategies (coupled hydro-mechanical calculations, microstructured media) and simplified approaches (suitable for use in engineering firms) for the nonlinear behavior of the structure, its support (foundation), and the soil.

Static
loading

Cyclic
loading

Dynamic
change


RESEARCH EXAMPLES

Three-dimensional finite element model of the offshore wind turbine taking into account the soil-structure interaction
(a) Three-dimensional structural model of the DTU-10 MW OWT with a TMD placed atop of the tower and considering soil-monopile interaction; (b) nacelle/hub interconnections with the tower top and rotor; (c) TMD placed atop of the tower; (d) soil-monopile interaction model
Vibration modes of the wind turbine
Simplified foundation models used in literature
Fore-aft monopile displacement at mudline in [cm] with and without a TMD or ATMD
Contrainte effective et de cisaillement le long une interface sol-pieu (réf: Ahayan, Sanae. A constitutive Model for natural Clays: From Laboratory Testing to Modelling of Offshore Monopiles. Diss. École Centrale de Nantes; Université de Liège. Faculté des Sciences, 2019, https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/238109)
Déformations plastiques volumétrique et déviatorique dans le sol autour du pieu (réf: Ahayan, Sanae. A constitutive Model for natural Clays: From Laboratory Testing to Modelling of Offshore Monopiles. Diss. École Centrale de Nantes; Université de Liège. Faculté des Sciences, 2019, https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/238109)
Étude expérimentale et numérique de fondations profondes sous sollicitations sismiques: pieux verticaux et pieux inclines (réf: Experimental and numerical study of deep foundations under seismic loading: vertical piles and inclined piles. Ph.D., Ecole Centrale de Nantes https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01095508)
Modélisation aux EFs d’un système d’amélioration des sols de fondations par inclusions rigides

FACILITIES

Experimental methods and adapted optical techniques are developed for laboratory monitoring of the aforementioned processes. It is worth noting that some of these research subjects have no equivalent worldwide.

Mechanical modeling is developed while always positioning itself at the interface between macroscopic modeling of continuous media, whether enriched and/or micro-morphological, and homogenization modeling, in order to address any issues related to the multi-physics and multi-scale nature of the phenomena considered.

Numerical simulation is integrated with mechanical modeling through the development of suitable finite elements, but it will also operate independently within the framework of discrete element methods (DEM), Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), and Machine Learning.

  • Interface Direct Shear Machine Adapted for Thermo-Mechanical Loading
  • Simple Shear
  • GemLab : A FE matlab toolbox

ONGOING PROJECTS

  • Project WEAMEC FAM_FOWT – Fatigue mitigation of floating offshore wind turbines under stochastic wind and wave conditions (2021-2024)
  • Project WEAMEC-FEM MUTANC – Shared Anchoring for Floating Wind Turbine Fields – Geotechnical Aspect (2021-2024)

MEMBERS

  • Philip ALKHOURY (ATER)
  • Riad EL HAMOUD (PhD)
  • Panagiotis KOTRONIS (PU)
  • Giulio SCIARRA (PU)
  • Abdul Hamid SOUBRA

PUBLICATIONS

Alkhoury P., Soubra A-H., Rey V., Aït-Ahmed M. (2022). «Dynamic analysis of a monopile-supported offshore wind turbine considering the soil-foundation-structure interaction», Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Volume 158, Article Number 107281.

Alkhoury P., Soubra A-H., Rey V., Aït-Ahmed M. (2021). «A full three-dimensional model for the estimation of the natural frequencies of an offshore wind turbine in sand», Wind Energy, 24(7), 699–719.

El Haj A.-K., Soubra A.-H. (2020). «Efficient estimation of the failure probability of a monopile foundation using a Kriging-based approach with multi-point enrichment», Computers and Geotechnics, Vol. 121, Article Number 103451.

El Haj A.-K.,Soubra A.-H.,Fajoui J. (2019). «Probabilistic analysis of an offshore monopile foundation taking into account the soil spatial variability», Computers and Geotechnics, Vol. 106, 205-216.

Al-Bittar T., Soubra A.-H., Thajeel J. (2018). «Kriging-based reliability analysis of strip footings resting on spatially varying soils», Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 144, N°10.

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