The Mexico Earthquake of September 19, 1985—Behavior of Building Foundations in Mexico City

Abstract

During the 1985 earthquake, a number of building foundations in the lacustrine soft soil area of Mexico City presented an inadequate performance. Previous high static contact stresses between the foundation and the supporting subsoil propitiated the appearance of plastic deformations of the soil under seismic cyclic stresses, which led to settlements and tilting of the buildings. Foundations of all kinds showed different degrees of vulnerability to the earthquake, but constructions on friction piles sustained the most severe damages. This can be attributed in some cases to non compliance with the accepted design criteria and current regulations. The main factor was however the pronounced dynamic magnification of seismic movements associated to the quasi coincidence between the natural period of some structures with moderate height on friction piles, and the long period of the subsoil motions, which led to large overturning moments and shear forces at the foundation level.