Impact of initial stress field heterogeneity in dynamic soil–structure interaction

Abstract

This article covers the impact of soil initial stress field heterogeneity (ISFH) in wave-passage analysis and in prescribed structural acceleration in the context of dynamic soil–structure interaction (DSSI) analysis. ISFH is directly related to the natural behavior of soil where a significant increase in net effective confinement, as is the case in the foundation soil under a building, tends to increase the soil’s modulus and strain. This creates a heterogeneous stress field in the vicinity of the foundation elements, which results in a modification of the dynamic behavior of the soil–structure system. A simple method for considering the impact of ISFH on the value of the soil’s modulus and strain was developed using the direct DSSI approach. The method was used to analyze numerical artifacts and its impact on the surface acceleration values of a nonlinear two-dimensional (2D) numerical soil deposit under transient loading. This analysis was followed by a sample application for a three-story, three-bay concrete moment-resisting frame structure erected on a deep soil deposit. Floor acceleration and relative displacement were used for comparison. The soil deposit was modeled using the typical geotechnical properties of fine-grained, post-glacial soil samples obtained in Eastern Canada from in situ geotechnical borehole drilling, geophysical surveys, and laboratory testing. Ground motion was based on eastern calibrated seismic signals. The results of the soil deposit analysis show that ISFH had a significant impact on surface acceleration values. The effect was found to be period-dependent and to have a direct impact on prescribed acceleration values at the base of structure. Thus, failure to take the effects of ISFH into consideration can lead to errors in calculating prescribed structural accelerations (i.e. over- or underestimation).