Shake table testing of the dynamic interaction between two and three adjacent buildings (SSSI)

The dynamic interaction of adjacent buildings in cities and urban areas through the soil medium is inevitable. This fact has been confirmed by various analytical and numerical studies. However, very little research is available on the physical modelling of the Structure-Soil-Structure Interaction (SSSI) problem and its effect on the dynamics of adjacent structures. In this paper, a series of shaking table tests was conducted at the Earthquake and Large Structures Laboratory (EQUALS) at the University of Bristol to examine the effects of SSSI on the response of a model building when bordered by up to two other model buildings under dynamic excitation. The results indicated that depending on their height, the presence of one or two adjacent building could positively or negatively alter seismic power and peak acceleration responses of a building in comparison to when it is tested in isolation.