Using centrifuge tests data to identify the dynamic soil properties: Application to Fontainebleau sand

• Identification of the dynamic properties of the (dry) Fontainebleau sand.
• A new post-processing strategy of the dynamic centrifuge experimental data.
• Influence of the confining pressure on both shear modulus and damping ratio.
• Effects of confining pressure on shear modulus reduction and damping ratio.

Knowledge of the dynamic properties of the soil is of great importance as the dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio are necessary input data in finite element modeling programs. This paper presents a post-processing strategy to identify the shear modulus and damping ratio vs. shear strain curves using the experimental results of a dynamic centrifuge program. Application is presented for the Fontainebleau sand. The proposed methodology is fast, robust and able to capture the nonlinear hysteretic behavior of the material. Based on the results, specific parameters for the Fontainebleau sand are identified for the empirical equation of shear modulus and damping ratio proposed by Ishibashi and Zhang [1]. It is found that confining pressure has an important influence on both shear modulus evolution and damping ratio.