ABSTRACT
It is interesting to observe that the type of representation adopted is tacitly related with the mental models of how the structures operate. As a matter of fact, for the structures of Table 1 the main mode of operation develops on vertical planes whereas the effects of the actions on the horizontal planes are null or correspond to simple bending (in the latter case, as a result of the discrete nature of the supports provided by the anchors or struts). On the contrary, for the structures of Table 2 the soil-structure interaction and the effects of the actions are clearly more complex on the horizontal planes whereas the ones on the vertical planes are due to simple bending.
