A soil-structure interaction (SSI) experiment has been conducted in a seismically active region in Hualien, Taiwan. To obtain earthquake data for quantifying SSI effects and providing a basis to benchmark analysis methods, a 1/4 scale cylindrical conc...
A soil-structure interaction (SSI) experiment has been conducted in a seismically active region in Hualien, Taiwan. To obtain earthquake data for quantifying SSI effects and providing a basis to benchmark analysis methods, a 1/4 scale cylindrical concrete containment model similar in shape to that of a nuclear power plant containment was constructed in the field where both the containment model and its surrounding soil, surface and sub-surface, are extensively instrumented to record earthquake response data.
From September 1993 to March 2002, more than seventy earth- quakes with Richter magnitudes ranging from 2.6 to 7.3 were recorded at the site. The recorded data were analyzed to provide information on the response characteristics of the Hualien soil-structure system, the SSI effects and the ground motion characteristics.
The ground response data were statiscally analyzed for their variations with depth, with distance from the model structure, and at the same depths along downhole mays to examine the distance from base and the depth/base diameter ratio where SSI is prominent. Variations of soil stiffness and soil-structure system frequencies were also evaluated against maximum ground motions and other earthquake intensity parameters. In addition, the contribution of sway, rocking and elastic responses of the model structure to the total behaviors was investigated. The following conclusions are obtained.
1) The ground motions near the surface were drastically amplified up to 2.0 times from the -15.8m downhole. It is shown that the current guidelines for SSI analysis are adequate.
2) The peak ground accelerations and the response spectra of soil in the frequency range larger than 5Hz were affected by soil-structure interaction up to the horizontal distance of about 1.65 times as large as the base dimension of the structure and down to the depth of approximately 1.5∼2.0 times the base dimension. It ensures that Standard Review Plan(SRP) requirements on the influence zone of finite soil model for SSI analysis are appropriate.
3) The horizontal distance from the edge of the structure where horizontal ground motions are affected by SSI decreases as the earthquake magnitude increases. The ground motion is less affected by SSI for the peak ground accelerations larger than about 50gals.
4) The soil responses show anisotropy of soil at the site in two horizontal directions and non-unifomity of the test site. The anisotropy appears to be larger for deeper soil.
5) The largest amplification of structural responses occurs in the frequency range of 4∼7Hz, which coincides with the primary fundermental frequency of soil- structure system. However the amplification rarely occurs at frequencies smaller than 2∼4Hz.
6) The rocking responses are predominant in the high frequency range larger than around the system fundermental frequencies while the sway responses dominant in the low frequency range. And the elastic reponses increase highly around the second fundermental frequency of response spectra while the sway responses decrease.
7) The shear wave velocity and frequency of the soil-structure system become lower as earthquake intensity parameters characterizing the degradation of soil under strong ground motions increase.