Validation of a high-cycle accumulation model based on element tests, model tests and measurements at real buildings

Validation of a high-cycle accumulation model based on element tests, model tests and measurements at real buildings The paper summarizes longtime experimental and numerical studies at the Institute of Soil Mechanics and Rock Mechanics (IBF) of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) with the aim to validate the high-cycle accumulation (HCA) model of Niemunis et al. (2005) for sand. First, the accurate reproduction of the results from drained cyclic triaxial tests by the HCA model is demonstrated. Subsequently, finite element simulations of model tests on monopile foundations for offshore wind turbines in different scales are described. For a validation in the 1:1 scale the field test on a prototype of a shallow foundation for offshore wind turbines performed by the Ed. Zublin AG is recalculated. This foundation has been subjected to a cyclic loading simulating several storm events. As another well documented boundary value problem in the 1:1 scale the ship lock Uelzen I has been studied in finite element simulations. In case of a ship lock the cyclic loading of the subsoil results from the changing water levels in the lock chamber. For all studied boundary value problems the determination of the input parameters of the simulations, i. e. the material constants and state variables of the soil, which are based on laboratory or field investigations, is explained. The results of the finite element simulations of the different problems are compared to the laboratory or field measurements.