Seismic analysis of lock–soil–fluid systems by hybrid BEM–FEM

Abstract

A study of soil–structure–fluid interaction (SSFI) of a lock system subjected to harmonic seismic excitation is presented. The water contained lock is embedded in layered soils supported by a half-space bedrock. The ground excitation is prescribed at the soil–bedrock interface. The response is numerically obtained through a hybrid boundary element (BEM) finite element method (FEM) formulation. The semi-infinite soil and the fluid are modeled by the BEM and the lock is modeled by the FEM. The equilibrium equation for the lock system is obtained by enforcing compatibility and equilibrium conditions at the fluid–structure, soil–structure and soil–layer interfaces under conditions of plane strain. To the authors’ knowledge this is the first study of a lock system that considers the effects of dynamic soil–fluid–structure interaction through a BEM–FEM methodology. A numerical example and parametric studies are presented to examine the effects of the presence of water, lock stiffness, and lock embedment on the response.