ABSTRACT

The effect of local soil conditions on the observed magnitude and patterns of seismic damage to buildings have been studied extensively in the last four decades. A synergetic relationship between earthquake engineering and soil dynamics research has developed, with soil geometric and stiffness characteristics becoming important parameters in the seismic design of structures. The shearing stress-strain behaviour of soils, in particular the shear modulus G (γ) and the damping ratio β (γ) were found to be the properties that affect most the dynamics of soil-structure interaction at small, medium and large strains γ.