LEAP-GWU-2015 centrifuge test at UC Davis

For the LEAP-GWU-2015 exercise, a relatively simple centrifuge test was conducted in parallel at 6 centrifuge facilities including the University of California Davis (UCD). The experiment consisted of a submerged medium dense clean sand with a 5° slope subjected to 1 Hz ramped sine wave base motion in a rigid container. This paper explains several details of the experiment at UCD including intended and unintended deviations from the specification and the implementation of new techniques for measurement of saturation of the centrifuge model. One unintended critical deviation was the use of pore fluid that was more viscous than specified; this had significant effect on the pore pressure dissipation time. The other important deviation from the specification was the incomplete ground motion sequence. While it is not ideal for purposes of determining the replicability of centrifuge tests, the differences between experiments diversifies the data available for validation of numerical models.