Soil-structure interaction effects on the seismic performances of reinforced concrete moment resisting frames

The paper investigates the influence of Soil-Structure-Interaction (SSI) effects on the seismic performances of 2D reinforced concrete (RC) moment resisting frames (MRFs), which were investigated by means of non-linear dynamic analyses. The goal was pursued by means of a parametric study in which (1) the soil properties, (2) the modelling technique of the SSI effects, (3) the seismic design level of the structures were varied. The soil classes suggested by Eurocode 8 were taken as reference to define the mechanical properties of soil. As concerns the SSI modelling, both a sub-structures approach and a direct approach were considered. Finally, structures of 4 and 8 floors designed for vertical loads only or according to the Italian regulations for constructions (NTC-08) were considered. RC-MRFs founded on soft soils were considered, because SSI effects on the seismic response are expected higher. The study shows that SSI affects the seismic demand in terms of maximum base shear and maximum inter-story drift ratio with different significance depending on the modelling approach.