Closure to “performance of a transparent Flexible Shear Beam container for geotechnical centrifuge modelling of dynamic problems” by Ghayoomi M., Dashti S., and McCartney J.S.

In response to the discussion, this closure presents a new set of analyses to confirm the satisfactory performance of the recently-developed transparent Flexible Shear Beam (FSB) container and its limitations. The lateral deformations of the box estimated using Finite Element analyses and measured during centrifuge experiments were compared. The maximum deformation to height ratio was sufficiently small to retain at-rest lateral earth pressures for loose to medium-dense cohesionless soils and all cohesive materials. In addition, higher frequency modes of vibration were estimated for the container, and were found to occur where the earthquake energy is less significant. Further, the box is expected to approximately replicate free field conditions under 1-D horizontal shaking for the range of soil properties under investigation. Overall, the deformation and vibration analyses indicate that the selection of appropriate rubber material properties and boundary conditions are critical when analyzing the performance of the container.