Shaking table test of a multi-story subway station under pulse-like ground motions

•Shaking table tests were conducted on a four-story subway structure.•Effects of pulse-like motions on seismic responses of underground structures were discussed.•Rich low-frequency components of pulse-like motions result in severe responses.•Lateral displacements of the side wall manifest as racking deformation.•Central columns are vulnerable structures subjected to pulse-like ground motion.

A series of shaking table tests were conducted to investigate the effect of pulse-like ground motion on a multi-story subway station. Dynamic response data, including internal forces, column drift, and settlement and deformation of the soil were obtained and analyzed. Results show that the pulse-like ground motion increases dynamic responses of the subway station and surrounding soils mainly owing to its inherent rich low-frequency component and high energy. In terms of the structure, central columns, especially central columns on a floor with large story height, are vulnerable components of a multi-story subway station. Both the dynamic earth pressure and the deformation mode of the side wall were analyzed.