Finite element modelling of a shaking table test to evaluate the dynamic behaviour of a soil-foundation system

The deep investigation of soil-foundation interaction behaviour during earthquakesrepresent one of the key-point for a right seismic design of structures, which can really behavewell during earthquake, avoiding dangerous boundary conditions, such as weak foundationssupporting the superstructures. The paper presents the results of the FEM modeling of a shakingtable test involving a concrete shallow foundation resting on a Leighton Buzzard sand deposit.The numerical simulation is performed using a cap-hardening elasto-plastic constitutive modelfor the soil and specific soil-foundation contacts to allow slipping and up-lifting phenomena.Thanks to the comparison between experimental and numerical results, the power and the limitsof the proposed numerical model are focused. Some aspects of the dynamic soil-foundationinteraction are also pointed out.