Soil Structure Interaction: The Status of Current Analysis Methods and Research. Seismic Safety Margins Research Program

摘要

Soil-structure interaction (SSI) has been broadly reviewed by consulting engineers and members of the research community. The complexities of the phenomenon lead to the conclusion that the problem cannot be solved exactly. The problems of analysis include specifying the local free-field ground motion, adequately characterizing the configuration and properties of the soil, and modeling the foundations and structures of a nuclear power plant. Two analysis methods are available: the direct method, which analyzes the idealized soil-structure system in a single step, and the substructure approach, which treats the problem in a series of steps (determination of the foundation input motion, determination of the foundation impedances, and analysis of the coupled systems).