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SUMMARY:How to convince structural design engineers to accept  rocking fou
 ndations to resist dynamic loads - Professor Bruce Kutter\, University of 
 California\, Davis
DTSTART:20101022T150000Z
DTEND:20101022T160000Z
UID:TALK26417@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Zelda Stuck
DESCRIPTION:Starting with Housner (1963)\, many researchers have suggested
  that rocking systems with gapping under the base have an inherent re-cent
 ering mechanism that helps them remain stable during dynamic loading. But\
 , the profession seems resistant to routine use of rocking foundations for
  buildings and bridges for a variety of reasons:\n\n1) unreasonable fear o
 f tip-over instability \n\n2) uncertainty about the magnitude of settlemen
 t associated with rocking\n\n3) natural uncertainty of soil conditions \n\
 n4) lack of understanding of the benefits of re-centering\n\n5) disseminat
 ion/demonstration to practising engineers\n\n6) lack of accepted/approved 
 design procedures\n\nThis lecture reviews nearly a decade of research work
  to address these issues. The work included centrifuge modelling of dynami
 cally loaded individual foundations and soil-footing-column-structure syst
 ems. Numerical simulations include different methods of modelling the gapp
 ing\, sliding and yielding at the footing-soil interface and have included
  large deformation effects to show that rocking footing systems have super
 ior stability compared to hinging column systems. Recent work has included
  significant interaction between practising and academic and geotechnical 
 and structural engineers to address items (5) and (6). The talk concludes 
 with reflections on how academic engineers can more effectively influence 
 practice.\n
LOCATION:Engineering Department - Lecture Room - LR4
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