Soil Structure Interaction in Moment resisting frames: Finite element study

Abstract

This interaction between soil and foundation influencing the distribution of in structural elements of the superstructure and the substructure is referred to as soil-structure interaction (SSI). Traditional design conventions for ordinary structures usually ignores soil-structure interaction effects, but for important structures it becomes an indispensable part. The scope of soil-structure interaction includes retaining walls, buried pipe lines, bridge abutments, tunnels etc. Interface interaction of foundation-soil and foundation-superstructure material is not considered comprehensively in the existing literature. There are several studies on soil-structure interaction, but continuum analysis simulating this effect using zero length interface elements, where the effect of interface material model parameters and stiffness parameters is considered are limited. This in combination with the non-linearity of soil further complicates the analysis of structural performance. Further the choice of domain geometry also has an influence. This study attempts to evaluate the impact of these factors on superstructure behaviour. For the same a Finite element analysis is conducted considering the interaction of foundation soil with the footing on which the structure rests. The results are represented in the form of stresses and bending moments in the structural elements and the deformation and stress profiles in the foundation soil.