Soil-Structure Interaction in Mexico City During the 1985 Earthquakes

Abstract

The effects of the flexibility of the soil and the foundation on the seismic response of structures, by opposition to clear foundation failures, cannot be easily identified from a simple observation of buildings after an earthquake, requiring either records of the motions (both translational and rotational components) at the base (and other levels), or detailed analytical studies. Although neither of these are available at this time, it is still possible, using relatively simple models, to make preliminary estimates of the types and magnitudes of the effects in Mexico City for different types of buildings and foundations. This paper presents a basic discussion of the nature of soil structure interaction effects and their possible importance in Mexico City, identifying some of the key aspects that should be taken into account, and recommends various topics where further research would be desirable.