Modeling of Building - Foundation Response to Earthquake Ground Motion Using a Geotechnical Centrifuge

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The safe, economical design of earthquake-resistant structures requires an understanding of the dynamic motions resulting from earthquake loading. The dynamic interaction between a structure and its foundation-soil support can have a significant influence on the response of the structure. This research program is investigating the building-foundation interaction under seismic excitation. An experimental program is being conducted on geotechnical centrifuges to simulate the performance of multi-story buildings constructed on surface foundations (as opposed to pile foundations) when subjected to earthquake ground motions. The study includes investigations of the free-field motion, steady-state vibrations of foundations, as well as the full structure-foundation-soil interaction phenomenon. This information is being incorporated into a mathematical model to describe the dynamic motions of buildings on surface foundations when subjected to earthquake excitations. This mathematical models can also be used to validate, calibrate, and combine various analytical procedures that have been proposed. Another outcome of the study is to further the capability of using the geotechnical centrifuge to investigate complex soil-structure interaction problems.