A global-local approach for dynamic soil-structure interaction analysis of deeply embedded structures in a layered medium.

The most popular method for dynamic soil-structure interaction analysis is the finite element method. The versatility in problems involving different materials and complex geometries is its main advantage, yet the FEM can not simulate unbounded domains completely. Several schemes have been proposed to overcome this shortcoming, such as the use of either imperfect or perfect transmitting boundaries, infinite elements and hybrid techniques. However, most of them were derived on the assumption that the soil mass can be represented as a homogeneous material despite the fact that stratified soil deposits are a common occurrence in nature. A hybrid method is proposed in this research for soil-structure interaction analysis in the frequency domain involving a multilayered linear elastic half-space. The near field region (structure and a portion of soil surrounding it) is modeled by finite elements while the far field formulation is obtained through the classical wave propagation theory based on the assumption that the actual scattered wave fields can be represented by a set of line sources. Traction reciprocity between the two regions is satisfied exactly, while the displacement continuity across the common interface is enforced in a least-squares sense. The two-dimensional system is excited by harmonic body waves (P and SV) propagating with oblique incidence. The structure can be considered either on the surface or deeply embedded in the multilayered half-space. Analytic solutions for the far field domain is obtained through the combined response of four simple problems that take into account the overall effects of the incident, reflected and scattered wave fields. The delta matrix technique is employed in order to eliminate the loss of precision problem associated with the Thomson-Haskell matrix method in its original form. Special numerical schemes are used to transform the solution from the κ- into the ω-plane due to the presence of poles on the path of integration. The few numerical examples studied in this research validate the proposed hybrid technique, but the relatively high computational cost required for evaluation of the Green's functions is still a serious drawback. Some suggestions are made to minimize the problem as well as to extend this technique to cases involving material attenuation and forced vibrations