14th World Conference on Seismic Isolation,

Energy Dissipation and Active Vibration Control of Structures

September 9-11 2015 San Diego, Ca USA

USE OF A HIGH PILE GRILLAGE AS SEISMO-ISOLATION IN

PERMAFROST REGIONS
Tatiana BELASH
Petersburg State University of Means of Communication
Moskovsky Ave., 9, Saint-Petersburg, 190031, Russia
belashta@mail.ru

ABSTRACT - The report presents the structures' analysis of the railway station’s building in the
permafrost and high seismic activity. Fеаturе of the is that besides saving permafrost bу the fist principle of
construction, рile foundation construction of high raft using performs the function of seismic isolation. The
building considered in the report represents the two-storeyed frame and panel building. The bearing vertical
designs (columns) are made of monolithic reinforced concrete with a section of 400 x 400 mm. Designs of
interfloor overlappings and coverings are executed from ferroconcrete the plates 220 mm thick connected
monolitno. The design of the pile base is presented in the form of ferroconcrete piles with a high grillage.
Length of piles is 10 meters. Research was carried out on the elementary models and on the models
considering spatial work of the building. In researches various programs complexes were used. During the
executed research criteria at which the pile base can be used as a seismoisolation element are established.
For increase of reliability of behavior of the building at an earthquake the special damping elements are
entered into a design of the base. The analysis settlement and theoretical researches of the considered
seismoprotection type is presented in the report.

Keywords: transport frame-panel building, piles foundation with high grillage, permafrost,
seismicity

1 INTRODUCTION

The most complex issues during construction of various engineering developments of

various purpose are the combinations of specific construction conditions, for instance, presence of
permafrost, high seismic activity, low temperatures, etc. Provision of buildings and facilities
reliability in such conditions is a complex engineering task.
At present time during designing of buildings and facilities to be constructed upon
permanently frozen soils several methods are used: method of keeping frozen state of ground bases
during full period of a building operation – principle I, and method, in which base soils are used in
thawing or thawed out state – principle II. With consideration of permafrost soils behavior under
seismic impact, principle I is preferential for base use. According to data, given in Standards for
quakeproof construction [1], use of such base allows to decrease seismic danger of construction site
by one point. The interaction of building with the base is also the simplest. In this case, one may
take for calculation investigations buildings and facilities models rigidly restrained in the base.
During building construction upon permafrost soils with the use of this principle, foundation
structures can be designed in different ways, for instance, in the form of individual posts: columnar,
framed, piled and other. Analysis of existing foundation designs shows that the use of individual
posts provides the possibility to realize the seismic isolation principle, well known in quakeproof
construction, which consists in introduction of increased flexibility components between the base
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and superstructure of the building, due to which there is a detuning of buildings oscillation
frequencies from the prevailing impact frequencies in the process of seismic vibrations, in the result
of which there is a decrease of oscillation mechanical energy.
The report considers the possibility of use of piles foundation with high grillage for the
realization of yielding bracing between the base and superstructure of the building.

2 INVESTIGATION METHODOLOGY

Investigation was carried out upon the example of transport large-panel building with rigid
structural system, which is constructed in permafrost regions according to permafrost keeping
principle. The building is two-storeyed, framed-panel, with plane sizes of 18 х 42 m. Load-bearing
vertical structures are designed in the form of columns with cross-section of 40 х 40 cm made of
cast-in-situ reinforced concrete. Floors and revetment are made of precast concrete slabs, 22 cm
thick, joined monolithically. Foundation is in the form of piles with high grillage. Piles foundation
components were considered as elements of yielding brace between the base and superstructure of
the building, and this allowed to realize the seismic isolation principle. At that, it was assumed that
the seismic isolation efficiency can be achieved only in case, if seismic load upon the building is
decreased by two times or more [2]. Thereupon, it was necessary to define, what pile design was to
be used, and its free length, needed for provision of seismic isolation function. Piles with different
cross-sections  30 х 30 and 40 х 40 cm, made of precast concrete, were considered. Piles are
rigidly connected with grillage, thickness of grillage was taken equal to 40 cm. Grillage is a cast-in-
situ reinforced concrete slab, upon which building's superstructure is placed.
Investigation was carried out on the basis of different calculation models, taken in the form
of single-mass and multiple-mass models with rigid fixing in the base. Seismic loads were
determined within linear-spectrum calculation procedure with consideration of relevant normative
documents for 7, 8 and 9 point intensity zone. Calculated pile length varied from 2.5 to 8 m.
In the process of investigation it was revealed that with the increase of pile's free length the
building natural period increases, and this leads to significant reduction of seismic load upon the
building. This expected result testifies to the positive effect, which is achieved in case of seismic
isolation. At that, as is known [2], efficient tuning of seismic isolation should be within the limits of
Т ≈ 2 s. Such period can be provided only in case of significant pile's free length (5 m and more).
However, increase of pile's free length, in its turn, leads to increase of reinforcement area [3].
It is possible to obtain the most acceptable results at 7-point seismicity and reinforced
concrete piles with cross-section of 40 x 40 cm, that is to achieve the effect, at which it is possible
to keep the bearing capacity of piles and achieve their significant yielding simultaneously. During
investigation it was found that with the increase of pile foundation yielding the increase of stresses
in piles and grillage junctions, as well as relative displacements at grillage level are observed. In
case of earthquake intensity over 7 points the keeping of seismic isolation effect with provision of
bearing capacity can be achieved only by changing of pile design, for instance, by using tubular
elements or additional introduction of energy-absorbing components, for instance, in the form of
dry friction dampers, into pile foundation structure.

3 CONCLUSIONS

Carried out investigations show that the pile foundation with high grillage, which is used for
the realization of principle I – keeping of permafrost, van be used simultaneously as a seismic
isolation component. At that, the pile foundation design should provide their significant yielding
and bearing capacity simultaneously. It is revealed that piles free length should reach 6 m, at that,
reinforcement ratio is within the limits from 3 to 4%.
Investigations showed that in case of ordinary reinforce concrete piles of 40 x 40 cm size
and seismic intensity of 7 points it is possible to obtain the expected seismic isolation effect with
keeping of bearing capacity. However, in case of earthquake intensity of 7 and more points increase
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of reinforced concrete pile flexibility leads to significant increase of reinforcement area. Thereupon
the most appropriate variant is the use of other pile design or introduction of additional energy
absorbing component in the form of dry friction dampers into pile foundation structure. In case of
use of pile foundation with high pile grillage as seismic isolation components one should pay
special attention to their joints with grillage, as the increase of pile foundations flexibility leads to
increase of stresses in connection joints and requires special design solution.

References

1. SP 14.13330.2013. SNiP II-7-81* [2014] Construction in seismic regions.

2. SP 63.13330.2012 [2012] Concrete and reinforced concrete structures. Basic guidelines.
3. Uzdin А.М., Elizarov S.V., Belash Т.А. [2012] Quakeproof structures of transport buildings and
facilities: Tutorial. –М.: FSBEI «Training-methodical center for education at railroad transport».