Pseudo 3D FEM analysis for wave passage effect on the response spectrum of a building built on soft soil layer

Abstract

Spatially variable ground motions can be significant on the seismic response of a structure due to the incoherency of the incident wave. Incoherence of the incident wave is resulted from wave passage and wave scattering. In this study, wave passage effect on the response spectrum of a building structure built on a soft soil layer was investigated utilizing a finite element program of P3DASS (Pseudo 3-dimensional Dynamic Analysis of a Structure-soil System). P3DASS was developed for the axisymmetric problem in the cylindrical coordinate, but it is modified to apply anti-symmetric input earthquake motions. Study results were compared with the experimental results to verify the reliability of P3DASS program for the shear wave velocity of 250 m/s and the apparent shear wave velocities of 2000-3500 m/s. Studied transfer functions of input motions between surface mat foundation and free ground surface were well-agreed to the experimental ones with a small difference in all frequency ranges, showing some reductions of the transfer function in the high frequency range. Also wave passage effect on the elastic response spectrum reduced the elastic seismic response of a SDOF system somewhat in the short period range.