Effect of varying soil conditions on soil-structure interaction in berthing structures: A case study using modelling approach

The substructure of a berthing structure with a deep draft presents significant financial challenges. This research offers valuable perspectives on minimizing substructure expenses for a berthing structure by leveraging the Indian Standard (IS) code for deep draft berthing structures in the early project phase for the prompt creation of the bill of quantities. The focus is on achieving efficient results, while adhering to the IS approach, thus avoiding time-consuming analyses. Different analyses of soil-structure interaction, including those based on the Indian Standard (IS) code, Fixity method, linear analysis, and non-linear analysis approaches were conducted utilising actual field soil parameters. Three distinct sites, predominantly comprised of sand (Chennai port), clay (Cochin port), and rock (Bhavanapadu port) were chosen for conducting optimised analyses. The analysis methodology involved creating four models for each site, along with IS Standard theoretical approaches. The models of the berthing structures were developed using STAAD Pro software, with detailed load calculations incorporated into the analysis. Results were presented as percentage variations in bending moments, shear force, and deflection obtained by different methods, revealing that the IS approach is comparatively non-conservative.