SEISMIC RESPONSE ANALYSIS OF A LAYERED SOIL COLUMN UNDER DIFFERENT WATER CONDITIONS

Abstract

The seismic site effect is influenced by the soil's dynamical properties. These properties are affected by the soil´s water content, which varies according to the climate conditions. This work aims to analyze the seismic site effect of a thirty-meter soil column which has different water table levels. An evaporation simulation is conducted on these columns. The mechanical properties under different suction pressures were obtained from previous researches. Then, a finite-difference model was used to simulate the soil-environment interaction and the results were applied to build the water profiles of the column. Finally, a finite element model was used to simulate the seismic response at the top of the deposit. The results showed a remarkable difference in soil response according to the degree of saturation of the column. The change in saturation due to climate conditions does not have a significant effect. On the other hand, the results showed that the water table level affects the response of the deposit. The deposit with dryer conditions had a greater response acceleration in the surface than the deposit in a wetter state. This work opens many research possibilities, where the influence of water content and climate conditions in soil mechanical and dynamical properties can be studied. These investigations would help achieve a better understanding of soil behavior and its interaction with the environment.