ADERS MSc in Analysis and Design of Earthquake Resistant

Structures

SPECIAL TOPICS ON EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

SOIL – STRUCTURE INTERACTION
PROFESSOR C. SPYRAKOS
NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS
LABORATORY FOR EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

HOMEWORK

At the surface of a soil layer and for ζ=5% damping, a design response spectrum is evaluated, which has a constant spectral

acceleration of 1.0g between periods Τ1 = 0.15 sec and Τ2 = 0.60 sec. On this layer and at a depth of e = 3.0 m a stiff

structure will be founded, with an active height of h = 4.0 m and circular foundation with a radius of r = 6.0 m. The
6
stiffness of the structure, if it is considered fixed at its base, is k = 10 kN/m, its fundamental period is T = 0.15 sec and

the damping factor is estimated at ζ=5%. The soil layer has a Poisson ratio v=0.4 and unit weight γ = 18 kN/m . The
3

velocity of shear waves is estimated at V S0 = 150 m/sec. Calculate the design acceleration of the structure,
considering a behavior factor q = 3.5 taking into consideration soil-structure interaction. Consider a spectral

amplification factor a A = 1.84.

EQUATION TABLE

Table 1: Reduction of the velocity of shear waves and the shear modulus as a function of pga

Shear wave velocity

Effective period

Horizontal foundation stiffness

Torsional foundation stiffness

Evaluation of foundation damping

Soil-structure system damping

Equivalent foundation dimension

Reduction factor due to foundation dimensions

Reduction factor due to foundation depth and pga

Elastic spectral acceleration at the base for 5% damping

Elastic spectral acceleration

 SOIL-STRUCTURE INTERACTION - SOLUTION

From the velocity Vs0, the given table and the relation between the velocity and the shear modulus
we calculate the value of the shear modulus G0=1502*18/10=40500KN/m2.

From the table we find that G/G0=0.42 , which results in a value of G=0.42*40500=17010KN/m2.
From the given equations for the stiffnesses and the structure dimensions we find that :

=8*17010*6/(2-0.4)=510300KN/m

=8*17010*63/(3*(1-0.4))=16329600KNm

because for a circular tank rm=ra=R=6m

The effective period is calculated from the given equation for Τ=0.15sec as

=0.15*(1+(106/510300)*(1+510300*42/16329600))0.5=0.3sec

We then calculate the damping factors

=1.5*(3/6)+1=1.75

=1.75*e(4.7-1.6*4/6)=66.22

=1.75*[25*ln(4/6)-16]=-45.74

and the resulting damping is

=66.22*(0.3/0.15-1)+(-45.74)*(0.3/0.15-1)2=20.81%

=20.81+5/(0.3/0.15)3=21.45%

The effective foundation dimension is

be=(π*62)0.5=10.635m
which leads to

=max[1-(1/3390)*(10.635/0.3)1.2,1-(1/3390)*(10.635/0.2)1.2]=0.978
 =

=max[cos(2*π*3/(0.3*97.5)),0.453,cos(2*π*3/(0.2*97.5))]=0.797

=1*0.797*0.978*(7/(2+21.45))0.5=0.426g
and the design acceleration is SA=0.426/3.5=0.122g
Note : for EC8 the damping factor n is n=(10/5+ζ)0.5