Analysis of soil-structure interaction of a typical reinforced concrete building under different soil profiles and earthquake loads by finite element method

Turkey has regions with high earthquake hazard due to its faults. Earthquakes along these faults have claimed numerous lives and caused extensive damage to hundreds of thousands of structures from the past to the present. To minimize the damage caused by an earthquake, design should be made by considering every detail in the calculation phase. Studies have shown that soil-structure interaction (SSI) directly influences the behavior of the structure during an earthquake, and it should be considered, especially in cases that ground conditions are inadequate. Aim of this study is accurately analyze the effect of SSI on structure and soil behavior. For this purpose, the soil-structure interaction of a typical reinforced concrete building with a basement, a ground floor, and nine additional floors to be constructed at four different locations with varying soil properties in Elazığ is analyzed. This analysis is conducted to assess the structure's response to three different seismic forces and design spectrums. Each case was analyzed separately with Plaxis 3D and SAP2000 programs, both of which operate on the finite element method in accordance with the Turkish Building Earthquake Code (TBEC-2018) principles. Analyses were also performed for cases where SSI was neglected. The results of these analyses were then compared to evaluate the performance of the programs. The study's findings underscored that soil-structure interaction (SSI) has a substantial impact on the behavior of structures and soil, influencing various static and geotechnical design parameters, particularly in response to soil properties.