A simple model to assess the effect of soil shear resistance on the response of soil-buried structures under dynamic loads

Abstract

The response of a buried structure to a surface loading is analyzed by a relatively simplistic model, yet comprehensive enough to delineate both wave propagation phenomena and effects of soil arching. Analysis of a buried circular plate response under surface impulsive loading, according to this model (which shows a good agreement with the theoretical predictions to the experimental results) enables an insight to the problem's full range, from very short impulse load to long, quasi-static loading. Application of this solution to a study case shows that both wave propagation related phenomena and the arching phenomenon (related to relative displacements in the soil above the structure) may be involved in the system's response to surface impact loading. Hence, a general analysis of a buried structure's response to dynamic surface loading should consider not only the wave propagation effects, but also take into account the soil arching effect.