# GIS-Based Optimal Route Selection of Submarine Cables Considering Potential Seismic Fault Zones
## 2 Materials and Methods
### GIS-Based Fault Rupture and Cable Distress Assessment
#### 2.4.2 Verification against the Experimental Results  
The validity of the proposed numerical model has been verified with the results from a full-scale experiment that was carried out by [PERSON] et al. [32]. A large-scale split-box test apparatus with dimensions of 5 m \(\times\) 1 m \(\times\) 1 m (length \(\times\) width \(\times\) height) was filled with dry sand with an average particle size of D\({}_{50}\) = 0.553 mm and unit weight of \(\gamma\) = 17.4 kN/m\({}^{3}\), whereas the peak and critical state friction angles were set equal to 47.7\({}^{\circ}\) and 33.5\({}^{\circ}\), respectively. A 5 m-long light weight (LW) cable of nominal outer and inner diameters equal to 18 mm and 1.9 mm, respectively, and elastic modulus, E = 22.8 GPa, was buried 0.5 m within the soil. To reliably simulate the anchored conditions, which usually occur at the seabed, both ends of the cable were fixed. The cable was subjected to abrupt lateral ground movements, which were physically simulated by keeping fixed the one half of the apparatus box and moving the other half along its longitudinal axis. A horizontal displacement was quasi-statically imposed (i.e., on a ratio approximately equal to 2 mm/min) almost up to the displacement capacity of the test apparatus (i.e., 300 mm), and the structural response of the cable, in terms of strains, was evaluated utilizing strain gauges. Submarine telecommunication and power cables are characterized by complex and multilayered cross-sectional configurations and their mechanical behavior is not easily attainable. As a consequence, the numerical simulation of such CLs constitutes a challenging task and numerous assumptions and simplifications are usually required [32; 59; 60]. [PERSON] et al. [32] numerically verified their experimental results and addressed the aforementioned structural complexities by adopting an equivalent cross-section of an LW telecom  
Figure 2: Proposed numerical model for cable-fault intersection. munication cable consisting of a unique material with equivalent tensile strength and elastic modulus, as shown in Figure 3. More specifically, the equivalent cross-section had the same outer and inner diameter, i.e., 18 mm and 1.9 mm, respectively, whereas the equivalent elastic modulus was defined as the ratio of the tensile strength to the equivalent cross-sectional area and it was estimated to be equal to 30 GPa. Having defined the geometry and mechanical properties of the equivalent cross-section, [PERSON] et al. [32] utilized beam elements to model the cable, whereas the cable-soil interaction was simulated using PSI elements along the axial and transverse horizontal directions. One node of each PSI was attached to the cable, while the soil displacement was imposed on the far-field node of the PSI. Five lateral soil displacements ranging from 50 mm to 200 mm were taken into account and the structural response of the cable was plotted in terms of axial, bending and total strains along its length. The obtained results revealed a good agreement with the experimental results, as shown in Figure 4.  
In the current study, a simple numerical model has been initially developed, based on the details given by [PERSON] et al. [32]. Figure 4 demonstrates the very good agreement of the developed FE model results with the experimental and the numerical results of the previous study. Following the successful verification of the adopted numerical methodology, more  
Figure 4: Comparison of the proposed FE model and the experimental and FE model of [PERSON] et al. [32] for the response of a submarine cable to the lateral seabed movement in terms of: (**a**) axial strains and (**b**) total strains. Figure 3: LW submarine cable and its equivalent cross-section. elaborate models have been developed to simulate the realistic cases of submarine cables with much different cable geometry and material properties, as well as faulting conditions.