Soil-structure interaction in earthquake-induced liquefaction

A method is proposed here to estimate damage to a structure due to earthquake- induced liquefaction considering the effect of soil-structure interaction. The damage is estimated in terms of differential settlement. The structural rigidity can significantly reduce the extent of damage to a structure. The redistribution of vertical loads due to uneven settlement of the foundations due to earthquake shaking can be modeled effectively by considering the interaction between the structure and the soil. A finite element-based computer program is written specifically for this purpose. The methodology is described with the help of an example.