Numerical simulations on seismic response of soil-pile-superstructure in coral sand

Abstract The structures on the coral islands are at risk of earthquakes. To study the particular seismic response of coral sand, the numerical model of the coral sand-pile-superstructure system was established using FLAC3D. The hysteresis damping is used to describe the constitutive, shear modulus attenuation and hysteresis of coral sand under cyclic stress. The results show that although the increasing pile length magnifies the soil dynamic response, the superstructure settlement decreases with the increasing pile length. Increasing the coral sand relative density reduces the development of the excess pore pressure ratio of the soil, but it amplifies the pile bending moment.