A discrete model for dynamic structure-soil-structure interaction systems with embedded foundations

Discrete models consisting of lumped masses, springs, and dashpots have been widely used in studies on the interaction between upper building clusters and underlying soils. However, past studies on discrete models have mainly focused on building clusters founded at the ground surface, ignoring the kinematic interaction between the foundation groups and the surrounding soils. In this study, a discrete model was developed for computing the dynamic response of building clusters with embedded foundations. In the proposed model, the buildings under consideration were built on rigid, circular foundations embedded at a given depth of a homogeneous, elastic half-space. The foundation input motion (FIM) was computed to account for the modification of free-field motion raised by the kinematic interaction effect. The dynamic response of the building cluster was then determined by solving the inertial interaction using FIM as the input motion. Validation results against finite element models proved the effectiveness of the proposed model. Finally, the limitations and potential improvements of the model were discussed.