INFLUENCE OF FOUNDATION TYPE ON EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE OF BUILDINGS

Abstract

The foundation type and the flexibility of soil founda-tion system is an important criterion in the computation of response of buildings to earthquake ground motion. A simple model consisting of equivalent lateral spring representing the stiffness of soil foundation system has been considered alongwith the usual lumped mass model of the building. Single, two, Five and Ten storey buildings with different foundation flexibilities have been analyzed for three different types of earthquake ground motions. From this study it has been conc-- luded that soil structure interaction is a very important criterion in determining the response of a structure. Therefore depending on the soil conditions the foundation characteristics alone may be suitably changed to reduce earth-quake forces on a -structure. The damage data of 1957, Mexico earthquake have been qualitatively analyzed based on the results of this study.