Analysis of historical quay wall structures - A Sensitivity Study to Develop a Method of Analysing Existing Structures

Abstract

This thesis investigates methods for assessing the structural capacity of historic quay walls in central Gothenburg, many of which are in need of renovation. A theoretical study of typ ical failure mechanisms was carried out, and analysis methods previously applied to similar quay walls in Amsterdam were studied to create a finite element (FE) model in Abaqus. This model was validated against existing Dutch models. Additionally, a reduction model was developed in Grasshopper to account for geometric constraints on soil capacity. Parametric studies were conducted to evaluate key factors influencing structural integrity, resulting in a practical tool for assessing historical quay wall structures. For validation, the developed model was compared with results from the Dutch case. The simulations included various combinations: assessing the impact of the reduction factor, comparing drained and undrained conditions in the wedge model, and evaluating the results against hand calculations. In the Gothenburg case study, two models were developed to analyse the effect of differ ent structural layouts. The FE modelling considered different conditions, resulting in 96 simulations providing data to conduct a sensitivity study. Approximately 10 % of these combinations were found to be in a critical state. The study identified that the front pile and pile diameter, in combination with at-rest earth pressure, where the most critical cases. The status of the filling, in the top soil layers beneath the timber deck, was the most critical condition to determine. These requires consideration when assessing the structural integrity of historical quay walls. It was proven that a parametric finite element model, implementing a soil wedge reduction model with visual programming, can be used to conduct a sensitivity study on historical quay walls.