A Review of Modeling Issues on the Seismic Soil-Pile-Structure Interaction

Abstract

Soil-structure interaction (SSI) is the relationship between soil response affecting structure movement and vice versa. SSI has long been thought to benefit a structure’s seismic response. It is proposed that neglecting SSI in design results in conservative results. Various design standards either permit a decrease in the total seismic coefficient because of SSI or suggest that it be disregarded entirely to simplify the complexity of analyses. However, findings from prior seismic disasters, such as the 1989 Loma Prieta and the 1995 Kobe Earthquakes, reveal that SSI can be detrimental in some situations, especially in pile-supported structures. Although it is necessary in certain modeling cases to consider soil-pile-structure interaction (SPSI), there is a lack of knowledge detailing which approach to utilize for an SPSI problem and which approach does or does not include the effects that provide simplification or complexity in modeling. In this paper, modeling issues on SPSI are investigated in general, considering different approaches presented in the literature. It is predicted that the findings of this paper will provide invaluable knowledge for researchers in the geotechnical and structural engineering fields.