Soil Structure Interaction
Soil Structure Interaction
Soil Structure Interaction
Most of the civil engineering structures involve some type of structural element with direct contact with ground. When the external forces,
such as earthquakes, act on these systems, neither the structural displacements nor the ground displacements, are independent of each
other. The process in which the response of the soil influences the motion of the structure and the motion of the structure influences the
response of the soil is termed as soil-structure interaction (SSI)[1].
Conventional structural design methods neglect the SSI effects. Neglecting SSI is reasonable for light structures in relatively stiff soil such
as low rise buildings and simple rigid retaining walls. The effect of SSI, however, becomes prominent for heavy structures resting on
relatively soft soils for example nuclear power plants, high-rise buildings and elevated-highways on soft soil[2].
Damage sustained in recent earthquakes, such as the 1995 Kobe Earthquake, have also highlighted that the seismic behavior of a structure
is highly influenced not only by the response of the superstructure, but also by the response of the foundation and the ground as well [3].
Hence, the modern seismic design codes, such as Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures: Seismic Performance Verification JSCE
2005 [4] stipulate that the response analysis should be conducted by taking into consideration a whole structural system including
superstructure, foundation and ground.
This conservative simplification is valid for certain class of structures and soil conditions, such as light structures in relatively stiff soil.
Unfortunately, the assumption does not always hold true. In fact, the SSI can have a detrimental effect on the structural response, and
neglecting SSI in the analysis may lead to unsafe design for both the superstructure and the foundation[7].
At low level of ground shaking, kinematic effect is more dominant causing the lengthening of period and increase in radiation damping.
However, with the onset of stronger shaking, near-field soil modulus degradation and soil-pile gapping limit radiation damping, and inertial
interaction becomes predominant causing excessive displacements and bending strains concentrated near the ground surface resulting in
pile damage near the ground level [2].
Observations from recent earthquakes have shown that the response of the foundation and soil can greatly influence the overall structural
response. There are several cases of severe damages in structures due to SSI in the past earthquakes. Yashinsky [8] cites damage in
number of pile-supported bridge structures due to SSI effect in Loma Prieta Earthquake in San Francisco in 1989. Extensive numerical
analysis carried out by Mylonakis and Gazetas [7] have attributed SSI as one of the reasons behind the dramatic collapse of Hanshin
Expressway in 1995 Kobe Earthquake.
[edit]References
1. ^ Tuladhar, R. (2006). Seismic behavior of concrete pile foundation embedded in cohesive soil, Ph.D. Dissertation, Saitama
University, Japan
2. ^ a b c Wolf, J. P. (1985). Dynamic Soil-Structure Interaction. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
3. ^ Mylonakis, G., Gazetas, G., Nikolaou, S., and Michaelides, O. (2000b). The Role of Soil on the Collapse of 18 Piers of the
Hanshin Expressway in the Kobe Earthquake, Proceedings of 12th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, New Zealand, Paper
No. 1074
4. ^ Japan Society of Civil Engineers. Standard Specifications for Concrete Structures – 2002: Seismic Performance Verification.
5. ^ ATC-3(1978). Tentative Provisions for the Development of Seismic Regulations of Buildings: A Cooperative Effort with the
Design Profession, Building Code Interests, and the Research Community, National Bureau of Standards, Washington DC
6. ^ NEHRP (1997). Recommended provisions for seismic regulations for new buildings and other structures, Part 1 and 2, Building
7. ^ a b c Mylonakis, G. and Gazetas, G. (2000a). Seismic soil structure interaction: Beneficial or Detrimental? Journal of Earthquake
8. ^ Yashinsky, M. (1998). The Loma Prieta, California Earthquake of October 17, 1989 – Highway Systems, Professional Paper