Seismic Soil-Pile-Structure Interaction. Theoretical Results and Observations on Pile Group Effects

In this paper the fundamental features of the seismic soil-structure interaction on the response of pile-supported structures are investigated. A stiffness matrix approach is proposed and employed to analyze the dynamic behavior of single pile and pile groups embedded in homogeneous and heterogeneous soil deposit. The superposition theorem is then used to evaluate the response of the structure, modelled as a single degree of freedom oscillator. Different configurations of both piles and structures are considered. In particular, the aim of the present study is to explore the role of the dynamic properties of the soil and pile group effects on the dynamic response of the structure. The performed analyses permit to define reliable seismic design criteria of piled-structures.