Dynamic response of structures with geometrically softening components including foundation interaction

Abstract

The effects of material nonlinearity and geometric instabilities of a bracing system of a dynamically loaded steel frame, as well as nonlinear soil-structure interaction are studied in this thesis. To investigate the response of a frame subjected to severe dynamic loads, a model of the force-displacement relationship of the bracing system is developed to account for the inelastic, post-buckling behavior of a brace subjected to strong compressive loads. This thesis also develops a model of the force-deformation relationship of the foundation-soil interface, confining the study only to the slide mode of failure. From these models, a softening behavior for the bracing system and a hyperbolic load-deformation behavior of the interface are proposed. It is shown that the structural response of a frame is significantly affected when the analysis includes both the effects of softening of the bracing system and soil-structure interaction.