Equivalent Linear Model for Existing Soil-Structure Systems

The concept of equivalent linearization is extended for the soil-structure systems, in which the strength ratio (defined as the ratio of the yielding strength to the elastic strength demand) is known rather than the ductility ratio. The nonlinear soil-structure system is replaced by a linear single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system, which can capture the response of the actual system with sufficient accuracy. The dynamic characteristics of the equivalent linear SDOF system are determined through a statistical approach. The super-structure is modeled by an inelastic SDOF system with bilinear behavior, and the homogeneous half space beneath the structure by a discrete model, following the Cone Model. To cover a wide range of soil-structure systems, a comprehensive parametric study is conducted using a set of nondimensional parameters for the soil-structure system. The accuracy of the equivalent linear parameters is then assessed. The results confirm that the proposed equivalent linear model can capture the simultaneous effects of soil-structure interaction (SSI) and nonlinearity in the super-structure concerning the maximum inelastic response of the soil-structure system.