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The devastating 921 earthquake registered magnitude 7.3 with its epicenter in Chi Chi, Nantou, seriously damaged the north pier of the port of Taichung, Taiwan on September 21, 1999. As a result of this event, the port experienced over a double-folded loss which include operation suspension and a huge amount of rebuild cost of over 1.2 billion N.T. dollars. There were some suggestions mentioned in a seminar that the wharves which constructed of caissons of north pier could be more stable if using a more frictional interface between the caisson’s bottom and the rock mounted foundation.
This study was to find out the friction coefficient, angles and the forces among different material surfaces such as rubber, concrete, non-sliding pad and steel bars as well, via a series of model tests. The result of the study led to suggestions of how to adopt a proper material for caisson’s bottom that can increase the friction between the caisson and the rock mounted foundation in order to prevent the caisson and its protection blocks from sliding, sinking and even submerging during a major earthquake. The result of the study from different material used for testing revealed that the caisson’s bottom with steel bar surface exhibit the highest stability for the wharves. In addition, a detailed flow chart for future caisson design and construction is provided for practical application.
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