Investigating the Influence of Deep Excavation on Seismic Response of Soil-Foundation-Structure Systems

The site effect is one of the significant factors in the earthquake phenomenon. The conditions of the site have a direct impact on how the earthquake waves hit the structures. The site may be such that it amplifies the waves or dampens them. Therefore, studying the site effect is always one of the important issues in seismic geotechnics. Also, site response is one of the important factors for designing buildings during earthquakes, so the site response spectrum should be considered in all of the construction codes. A site response to seismic motions depends on its soil characteristics and the topographic conditions of the site. The results of previous studies showed that the deep excavations adjacent to the structure increased the lateral displacement of the structure. Increasing and decreasing the items mentioned earlier depend heavily on factors such as the depth and shape of excavation, the direction of the earthquake, and the type of foundation of the adjacent structure. In this paper, the effects of deep excavation with the presence of an equivalent load of high-rise buildings are investigated in an efficient and accurate model of a soil-foundation-structure system. The results show that by increasing the equivalent load of the structure and depth of excavation, the maximum acceleration of the foundation is reduced. Also, by reducing the depth of excavation and increasing the distance between the edge of it, the maximum acceleration of the foundation is increased.