Soft Barriers for the Mitigation of Seismic Risk. (2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nappa, Valeria; Bilotta, Emilio; Flora, Alessandro
• Is Part Of: Procedia engineering. Volume 158(2016)
• Page Start: 404
• Page End: 409
• Publication Date: 2016
• Subjects: Seismic isolation -- numerical analyses -- laboratory testing; Engineering -- Congresses; Engineering -- Periodicals; Engineering; Conference proceedings; Periodicals; 620.005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.proeng.2016.08.463
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1877-7058

Abstract

Abstract: This paper gives an insight on the static and dynamic performance of soft buried barriers made of a mixture of soil and a Super Absorbing Polymer (SAP) to be used for the mitigation of seismic risk. Laboratory tests were carried out on sand-SAP mixtures at different relative percentages. The results have been interpreted with reference to the peculiar properties of the two materials (sand and SAP) at the grain scale. The results of the numerical analyses indicate that the higher the SAP content, the higher the isolating effectiveness of the barrier but the worse the overall static behaviour. A balance between the two opposite needs must be found for the most effective design.