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Parallel finite element modeling of earthquake ground response and liquefaction

Abstract

Parallel computing is gradually becoming a main stream tool in geotechnical simulations. The need for high fidelity and for modeling of fairly large 3-dimensional (3D) spatial configurations is motivating this direction of research. The main objective of this thesis is to develop a state-of-the-art nonlinear parallel finite element program for earthquake ground/structure response and liquefaction simulation. In the developed parallel code, ParCYCLIC, finite elements are employed within an incremental plasticity, coupled solid-fluid formulation. A constitutive model calibrated by physical tests represents the salient characteristics of sand liquefaction and associated accumulation of shear deformations. Key elements of the computational strategy employed in ParCYCLIC include the development of a parallel sparse direct solver, the deployment of an automatic domain decomposer, and the use of the Multilevel Nested Dissection algorithm for ordering of the finite element nodes. Conducted large-scale geotechnical simulations show that ParCYCLIC is efficiently scalable to a large number of processors. Calibrated FE simulations are increasingly providing a reliable environment for modeling liquefaction -induced ground deformation. Effects on foundations and super-structures may be assessed, and associated remediation techniques may be explored, within a unified framework. Current capabilities of such a FE framework are demonstrated via a series of 3-dimensional (3D) simulations. High-fidelity 3D numerical studies using ParCYCLIC are shown to provide more accurate results. Much time and effort is expended today in building an appropriate finite element mesh and associated data files. User-friendly interfaces can significantly alleviate this problem allowing for high efficiency and much increased confidence. Pre- and post processing interfaces are developed to facilitate use of otherwise computational environments with numerous (often vaguely defined) input parameters. User-friendly interfaces are useful not only for simple model simulations on single-processor computers but also for large-scale modeling on a parallel machine

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