Seismic evaluation of an existing anchored steel sheet-pile quay wall in the Ravenna port (Italy)

In this paper, a case study involving the seismic evaluation of an existing anchored sheet-pile quay wall in the Ravenna port area is presented. A well-known geotechnical setting, in addition to the data of an extensive field and laboratory investigation carried out lately in the area for upgrading works, allowed to perform both simplified and detailed seismic analysis. The site-specific earthquake ground motions are defined through 1D equivalent-linear site response analysis in which the outcropping bedrock motion time histories are selected based on regional probabilistic seismic hazard studies. A simplified seismic analysis, based on the pseudo-static method outlined in the new generation of Eurocode 8 (draft version), has been carried out applying a seismic coefficient defined accounting for spatial variation of the ground motion along the wall height. On the other hand, the seismic performance of the quay wall is evaluated through a 2D FEM non-linear dynamic analysis. The results of a detailed dynamic analyses and the pseudo-static analysis were compared pointing out the relevance of defining an appropriate seismic coefficient for simplified seismic analysis.