This research involves shake table testing of 1g scale models that mimic the coupled seismic response of a structure on a shallow mat foundation and foundation soil (known as soil-foundation-structural-interaction or SFSI). In previous research, SFSI effects have been quantified through analytical models, numerical analyses, and limited field data. This research works towards increasing the amount of empirical data through scale model shake table testing. A suite of earthquake time histories is considered in evaluating a nominal 10th scale soil-structure model using a flexible wall barrel on a 1-D shake table. San Francisco Young Bay Mud (YBM) is used as the prototype soil and long period narrow building as the prototype structure. Foundation embedment depth, fundamental mode of the structure, and seismic loading function are varied to generate a large database of SFSI results under controlled conditions. The foundation level response is compared to free-field responses to determine the magnitude of the SFSI.
The results confirm the effects of foundation embedment on the peak ground motion and the spectral acceleration at the predominant period of the structure. The foundation level accelerations are deamplified compared to free-field results. Results also confirm the legitimacy of the testing platform and program by comparing the data to previous experimental study.
","abstract_html":"<p>This research involves shake table testing of 1g scale models that mimic the coupled seismic response of a structure on a shallow mat foundation and foundation soil (known as soil-foundation-structural-interaction or SFSI). In previous research, SFSI effects have been quantified through analytical models, numerical analyses, and limited field data. This research works towards increasing the amount of empirical data through scale model shake table testing. A suite of earthquake time histories is considered in evaluating a nominal 10<sup>th</sup> scale soil-structure model using a flexible wall barrel on a 1-D shake table. San Francisco Young Bay Mud (YBM) is used as the prototype soil and long period narrow building as the prototype structure. Foundation embedment depth, fundamental mode of the structure, and seismic loading function are varied to generate a large database of SFSI results under controlled conditions. The foundation level response is compared to free-field responses to determine the magnitude of the SFSI.</p> <p>The results confirm the effects of foundation embedment on the peak ground motion and the spectral acceleration at the predominant period of the structure. The foundation level accelerations are deamplified compared to free-field results. Results also confirm the legitimacy of the testing platform and program by comparing the data to previous experimental study.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kuo, Steven"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Civil and Environmental Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Robb Moss"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:31:17Z","subjects":["Shake Table","Soil-structure-interaction","shallow foundation","seismic","earthquake","clay","embedment","Geotechnical Engineering"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10.15368/theses.2012.156"],"render_values":[{"text":"10.15368/theses.2012.156","href":"https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2012.156","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/839","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Robb Moss"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Kuo, Steven"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2012-08-29T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Civil and Environmental Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Shake Table","Soil-structure-interaction","shallow foundation","seismic","earthquake","clay","embedment","Geotechnical Engineering"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/839","10.15368/theses.2012.156"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This research involves shake table testing of 1g scale models that mimic the coupled seismic response of a structure on a shallow mat foundation and foundation soil (known as soil-foundation-structural-interaction or SFSI). In previous research, SFSI effects have been quantified through analytical models, numerical analyses, and limited field data. This research works towards increasing the amount of empirical data through scale model shake table testing. A suite of earthquake time histories is considered in evaluating a nominal 10th scale soil-structure model using a flexible wall barrel on a 1-D shake table. San Francisco Young Bay Mud (YBM) is used as the prototype soil and long period narrow building as the prototype structure. Foundation embedment depth, fundamental mode of the structure, and seismic loading function are varied to generate a large database of SFSI results under controlled conditions. The foundation level response is compared to free-field responses to determine the magnitude of the SFSI.
The results confirm the effects of foundation embedment on the peak ground motion and the spectral acceleration at the predominant period of the structure. The foundation level accelerations are deamplified compared to free-field results. Results also confirm the legitimacy of the testing platform and program by comparing the data to previous experimental study.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Scale Model Shake Table Testing of Shallow Embedded Foundations in Soft Clay"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Robb Moss"],"dc:creator":["Kuo, Steven"],"dc:date.available":["2012-08-29T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This research involves shake table testing of 1g scale models that mimic the coupled seismic response of a structure on a shallow mat foundation and foundation soil (known as soil-foundation-structural-interaction or SFSI). In previous research, SFSI effects have been quantified through analytical models, numerical analyses, and limited field data. This research works towards increasing the amount of empirical data through scale model shake table testing. A suite of earthquake time histories is considered in evaluating a nominal 10th scale soil-structure model using a flexible wall barrel on a 1-D shake table. San Francisco Young Bay Mud (YBM) is used as the prototype soil and long period narrow building as the prototype structure. Foundation embedment depth, fundamental mode of the structure, and seismic loading function are varied to generate a large database of SFSI results under controlled conditions. The foundation level response is compared to free-field responses to determine the magnitude of the SFSI.
The results confirm the effects of foundation embedment on the peak ground motion and the spectral acceleration at the predominant period of the structure. The foundation level accelerations are deamplified compared to free-field results. Results also confirm the legitimacy of the testing platform and program by comparing the data to previous experimental study.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/839","10.15368/theses.2012.156"],"dc:subject":["Shake Table","Soil-structure-interaction","shallow foundation","seismic","earthquake","clay","embedment","Geotechnical Engineering"],"dc:title":["Scale Model Shake Table Testing of Shallow Embedded Foundations in Soft Clay"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Civil and Environmental Engineering"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:31:17Z"}