Earthquake responses of a base-isolated structure on a multi-layered soft soil foundation by using shaking table tests

Abstract

Soil-structure interaction (SSI) has a significant effect on the earthquake response of a base-isolated structure, particularly on the rotation response of the SSI system and the isolation performance of the isolation layer, as demonstrated by previous shaking table tests (Zhuang et al., 2014). On a softer soil foundation, the SSI should have a greater influence on the seismic response of an isolated structure. To this end, a new shaking table test is conducted to estimate the effect of SSI on the dynamic characteristics of a base-isolated structure on a multi-layered soil foundation including a soft clay layer. As expected, the isolation efficiency of the isolation layer is reduced by the SSI effects, especially with increasing peak ground acceleration (PGA) of the input motion. Compared with the test results for an isolated structure on a harder soil foundation, the rotation responses of the pile cap and the isolation layer in this study are stronger. Additionally, the rotation responses of the pile cap are significantly amplified by the isolation layer. This type of amplification effect can become stronger with increasing PGA of the input motion, which differs from the results for previous tests with a base-isolated structure on a harder sand foundation. Meanwhile, when the natural isolation property of the softening soil layer is considered, the seismic responses of a base-isolated structure are reduced by the SSI effects because the natural isolation of the soft soil layer can compensate for the lost isolation ability of the isolation layer.