Effect of soil-building interaction on dynamic earth pressure of basement walls using numerical analysis

Abstract

Dynamic lateral earth pressure on walls is usually estimated by applying PGA-based conventional methods. However, those methods cannot consider soil-structure interaction (SSI), which affects the magnitude and distribution of the earth pressure. In this study, we analyzed the dynamic earth pressure on the basement walls of buildings, considering the soil-building interaction by using nonlinear numerical simulations in OpenSees. The numerical model was validated by comparing its results with the experimental data obtained from a centrifuge model test. A parametric study was performed, varying building height and width, basement depth, and geotechnical properties. The results showed that the inertial interaction of the building greatly increased the magnitude of earth pressure, while the kinematic interaction had a minor effect on the magnitude of earth pressure. The findings highlight the importance of incorporating the dynamic characteristics and inertia of buildings when predicting earth pressures on basement walls in practical design applications.