Results and analysis of soil-structure interaction experiments performed in the centrifuge

In this paper a centrifuge model that is capable of realistically representing soil-structure systems subjected to earthquake-like excitation is used to create a data pool which demonstrates the influence of (i) the frequencies of the structure, (ii) the foundation embedment and (iii) the foundation shape on radiation damping and soil-structure interaction effects for a structure on a semi-infinite soil layer over bedrock. The centrifuge model used in this study was developed and validated by the authors in an earlier publication,¹ and employs an internal method of earthquake simulation, and the clay-like material, Duxseal, to absorb wave reflections at the boundary of the soil sample. The results of the experimental study are used to compute damping and stiffness values of a two-degree-of-freedom piecewise-linear numerical model of the soil-structure systems. The experimental parameter values are then compared to the values computed using classical text book formulae. The analysis demonstrates the value of the experimental data in validating and developing soil-structure interaction theory, and confirms the accuracy of classical text book formulae in the linear range.