Evaluation of Dynamic Behavior of Fine-Grained Soils Using Group Method of Data Handling

Since the proper performance of infrastructures requires a careful design, an accurate evaluation of key parameters by using new methods is of particular importance. In design process of soil structures and transportation systems, as a part of the most important technical buildings and substructures, which provide essential services for humans, it is very important to have a more accurate assessment and prediction of soil behavior, especially under dynamic load conditions. Dynamic properties of soils, including shear modulus and damping ratio, are crucial parameters to both fundamental understanding of dynamic behavior and modeling of these materials. Reliable and accurate dynamic properties of soils are necessary for the solution of many soil dynamic problems or soil-structure interaction. Up to now, the dynamic properties of soils have become the scope of many studies in the field of geotechnical earthquake engineering, using various laboratory methods. In this study, two models were developed for evaluation of shear modulus and damping ratio of cohesive soils using group method of data handling (GMDH). Validation of these models was carried out using centrifuge tests results. A parametric analysis was carried out to evaluate the sensitivity of the proposed models to variation of the influential parameters. Finally, the proposed models were compared to available relationships and charts. Results indicated that GMDH-based models could provide more accurate predictions of dynamic properties of cohesive soils, than those obtained by using previous studies.