Challenges associated with site response analyses for soft soils subjected to high-intensity input ground motions

Nonlinear site response analyses are generally preferred over equivalent linear analyses for soft soil sites subjected to high-intensity input ground motions. However, both nonlinear (NL) and equivalent linear (EQL) analyses often result in large shear strain estimates (3-10%) at soft sites, and these large strains may generate unusual characteristics in the predicted surface ground motions, such as irregular time histories and atypical spectral shapes. One source of unusual ground motion predictions may be attributed to unrealistically low shear strengths implied by commonly used modulus reduction curves. Therefore, modulus reduction and damping curves can be modified at shear strains greater than approximately 0.1% to provide a more realistic soil model for site response. However, even after these modifications, nonlinear and equivalent linear site response analyses still may generate unusual surface acceleration time histories and Fourier amplitude spectra at soft soil sites when subjected to high-intensity input ground motions. In this study, we use equivalent linear and nonlinear 1D site response analyses for the well-known Treasure Island site to demonstrate challenges associated with accurately modeling large shear strains, and subsequent surface response, at soft soil sites.