Effects of soil dynamic properties and bedrock depth on seismic response of building frames incorporation soil-structure interaction

In this study, a ten storey moment resisting building frame, resting on a shallow foundation, is selected in conjunction with three soil types with the shear wave velocities less than 600m/s, representing classes Ce, De and Ee, according to AS 1170.4. Different bedrock depths including 10m, 20m, and 30 m are employed in the numerical modelling using finite difference software FLAC 2D. Fully nonlinear dynamic analysis under influence of different earthquake records is conducted, and the results of the three different cases are compared and discussed. The results indicate that the dynamic properties of the subsoil such as shear wave velocity as well as bedrock depth play significant roles in seismic response of the building frames under the influence of soil-structure interaction. As the shear wave velocity of the subsoil decreases and bedrock depth increases, lateral deflections and inter-storey drifts of the structures increase. The mentioned effects can change the performance level of the structures from life safe to near collapse or total collapse. Therefore, the conventional design procedure excluding SSI is no longer adequate to guarantee the structural safety for the building frames resting on soft soil deposits.