Nonlinear Response Analysis of Soil Layers Under Severe Earthquake

Equivalent Linear Method is a common way used in earthquake engineering to analyze nonlinear seismic response of soil layers, but the response under severe earthquake is underestimated by the way. For analyzing nonlinear response more veritably, in the study, a direct nonlinear method was proposed and used in a case for 1D seismic response analysis of soil layers under severe earthquake. The results obviously showed that, comparing with direct nonlinear method, the Equivalent Linear Method underestimated in the case not only the seismic response value but also response duration in natural period range of common civil engineering structures. The direct nonlinear method adopted in the study is more fitful for nonlinear response of soil layers under severe earthquake.