Seismic analysis of high-speed railway irregular bridge–track system considering V-shaped canyon effect

To explore the effect of canyon topography on the seismic response of railway irregular bridge–track system that crosses a V-shaped canyon, seismic ground motions of the horizontal site and V-shaped canyon site were simulated through theoretical analysis with 12 earthquake records selected from the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) Strong Ground Motion Database matching the site condition of the bridge. Nonlinear seismic response analyses of an existing 11-span irregular simply supported railway bridge–track system were performed under the simulated spatially varying ground motions. The effects of the V-shaped canyon topography on the peak ground acceleration at bridge foundations and seismic responses of the bridge–track system were analyzed. Comparisons between the results of horizontal and V-shaped canyon sites show that the top relative displacement between adjacent piers at the junction of the incident side and the back side of the V-shaped site is almost two times that of the horizontal site, which also determines the seismic response of the fastener. The maximum displacement of the fastener occurs in the V-shaped canyon site and is 1.4 times larger than that in the horizontal site. Neglecting the effect of V-shaped canyon leads to the inappropriate assessment of the maximum seismic response of the irregular high-speed railway bridge–track system. Moreover, engineers should focus on the girder end to the left or right of the two fasteners within the distance of track seismic damage.

An Analytical Solution for Seismic Interaction between Urban River-Canyon Topography and Nearby Buildings

The interaction between urban river-canyon topography and the river-side building is investigated by using a whole analytic model of a semicircle river-canyon and a shear wall supported by a semicircle rigid foundation embedded in a homogenous half-space. The closed-form analytical solution for system response is presented based on the wave function expansion method. The analysis focuses on the effects of the canyon-building interaction on system response. The strength of the interaction between the river-canyon topography and the building changes periodically as the distance between the canyon and the structure increases, leading to the interaction having beneficial or harmful effects on the building’s seismic response. The foundation peak response of the building can be amplified by about 10%, and the peak of the building relative response can be amplified by about 40%. The distribution of canyon-structure spacing with strong or weak interaction is closely related to the dynamic characteristics of the building and the incident angle of the wave. When designing buildings along the river, the building and canyon should be analyzed as a whole model to determine whether the location of the building is in a position with strong interaction with the river-canyon. The model in this paper may be useful for obtaining insight into the effects of canyon-structure interaction and interpreting the observed response in buildings and seismic response estimation in general.

Transformation of high-relief canyon topography by an ancient rock avalanche, Hop Valley, Zion National Park, Utah, USA

Zion National Park preserves a rich geological record of Holocene landslide-dammed canyons in its deeply incised topography, with 11 hypothesized valley-blocking deposits within the park boundaries. Despite consistent stratigraphic, tectonic, and climatic settings, the occurrence of and subsequent landscape response to these natural dams varies. As such, the region provides a unique natural laboratory for quantifying the effect and evolution of landslide dams in high-relief canyon topography. Here we present a detailed study of a rock avalanche deposited at the mouth of Hop Valley in Zion National Park, describing its age, size, emplacement conditions, impact on local geomorphology and sedimentology, as well as the subsequent usage of the valley by native Ancestral Puebloans. Topographic reconstructions indicate the original deposit was ~75 million m3 and 1.5 km long with a maximum thickness of 180 m. New ages from cosmogenic 10Be surface exposure dating indicate a single-event failure at 6.7 ± 0.7 ka. The rock avalanche impounded ~55 million m3 of sediment, transforming Hop Valley from a relatively narrow gorge to a broad flat-floored canyon. Stratigraphic sections of accumulated upvalley sediments, calculated sedimentation rates (averaging 8.2 ± 0.8 m/ky), and paleoclimate records suggest the deposit primarily dammed sediment, rather than water, to produce an extensive alluvial plain. This detailed case-history analysis, together with our review of other Holocene landslide dams in Zion National Park, helps clarify the legacy of valley-blocking mass movements in steep canyon topography.

Macrofaunal Diversity and Community Structure of the DeSoto Canyon and Adjacent Slope

Macrofauna within the DeSoto Canyon, northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), along the canyon wall and axis, and on the adjacent slope, were sampled along with sediment, terrain, and water mass parameters. Within the canyon, abundance and species richness decreased with depth, while evenness increased. Cluster analysis identified three depth-related groups within the canyon that conformed to previously established bathymetric boundaries: stations at 464 – 485 m, 669 – 1834 m, and > 2000 m. Abundance differed between depth groups. Species richness was lowest for the deepest group and evenness was lowest for the shallowest. Community structure within the canyon most related to fluorometry and oxygen saturation, combined with any of salinity, particulate organic carbon, sediment organic carbon, or slope.Canyon wall abundances were higher than the canyon axis or adjacent slope. Community structure differed between all three habitat types. Ordination of community structure suggests a longitudinal pattern that potentially tracks with increasing sea-surface chlorophyll that occurs in the eastward direction across the northern GOM. Canyon and slope differences may result from seasonal water masses entrained by canyon topography characterized by high salinity, oxygen saturation, fluorometry, and turbidity. Higher fluorescence and turbidity in the canyon did not translate into higher sediment organic matter. Flushing along canyon wall channels and the canyon axis may explain the low organic matter. Differences in abundance and structure between the canyon wall and axis may result from microhabitat heterogeneity due to potential hydrocarbon seepage, organically enriched sediment deposits along channels, or remnant influence from the Deepwater Horizon blowout.

Numerical Simulations of Canyon Topography Effects on Long-Span Bridge with High Piers under Incident SH Seismic Waves

To evaluate the influences of the canyon topography on large structures, based on a rigid frame bridge across a 137-meter-deep and 600-meter-wide canyon, the seismic response of the canyon topography is analyzed under seismic SH waves with the assumptions of vertical incidence and oblique incidence to obtain the surface ground motions, which are used as the excitations for the bridge. It indicates that canyon topography has significant and complex influences on the surface ground motions. The peak ground accelerations vary greatly from the bottom of the canyon to the upper corners. And the ground surface has been characterized by larger relative displacements in the case of oblique incidence. Compared with the uniform seismic excitations, it’s hard to find out any regularity on structural seismic responses considering the canyon topography effects. The canyon topography can enlarge or minish the structural responses in terms of the different structure members, and it should be a carefully considered factor in structural seismic analysis and design.