Seismic behavior of rectangular closed diaphragm walls as bridge foundations in slope liquefiable deposits

As a new type of bridge foundations, the seismic behavior of the rectangular closed diaphragm wall (RCDW) in slope liquefiable deposits requires a deep investigation. The liquefaction mitigation capability and displacement characteristics (settlements, rotations, and horizontal displacements) of RCDWs as bridge foundations in slope liquefiable deposits in different shaking events are studied on the basis of dynamic centrifuge test results. A comparison of different responses of the soil in the far field and the soil core enclosed by RCDWs in three shaking events (peak values of small, moderate, and large shaking events are 0.05g, 0.13g, and 0.50g, respectively) verifies that RCDWs can mitigate liquefaction to some extent. On the basis of the displacement characteristics of RCDWs in these three shaking events, the merits of RCDWs serving as bridge foundations are discussed, and the discussion shows that RCDWs are the most advantageous for serving as bridge foundations in moderate shaking events in liquefiable deposits. Furthermore, the effects of caps on the displacement characteristics of RCDWs are analyzed based on the results of two different dynamic centrifuge tests.