Seismic Response of Buildings Resting on Geosynthetics Reinforced Sand Bed

Abstract

An earthquake is a significant disaster that destroys structures all over the world. The structure must be designed to resist the impacts of the earthquake. The present study analyzes the efficacy of an Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) liner to lower the amount of seismic energy conveyed and the dynamic response of buildings. Finite element simulation of the transient response of an integrated soil isolation-building system in which buildings are resting on a raft in medium dense sand beds, with and without a soil-seismic isolation system, has been performed with the help of a recorded accelerogram of the El Centro (1940) earthquake. Two sets of space frame building models (two and three storey) of single bay reinforced concrete frames have been considered to estimate seismic response. UHMWPE thickness has been varied from 0.0064 m to 0.15 m to investigate its impact on peak acceleration at building roof levels. The analysis results indicate that earthquake vibration energy transmission to the superstructure is limited by the use of a UHMWPE liner, as a soil isolation medium and the thickness of the soil isolation liner significantly influences the building response during an earthquake ground motion. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.