Author(s)

Muhammad Tayyab Naqash, Qazi Umar Farooq, Ouahid Harireche

Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Madinah, Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Soil underneath a structure might affect the behavior and the overall response of the structure in seismic events. The role of loose soil conditions and the inclusion of soil-structure interaction (SSI) in the analysis are important issues that need to be addressed. Since steel structures are light, two configurations designed as spatial and perimeter are considered to study the effect of soil on the steel structural frames for the same building. The paper provides a parametric analysis on the influence of SSI on the overall performance of MRFs (Moment Resisting Frames) according to the provisions of Saudi Building Code (SBC) [1]. A case study has been developed in which spatial and perimeter moment resisting frames of 12, 6 and 3 stories residential buildings are designed using Saudi Building Code (SBC) prescriptions. A modal response spectrum analysis has been carried out to see the influence of SSI on the fundamental period of vibration, top story displacement and inter-story drift limitations. Moreover, a static non-linear analysis has been performed to investigate the performance of frames, thus allowing to identify the influence of SSI on the structural design of steel MRFs.

Soil Structure Interaction (SSI), Saudi Building Code (SBC), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Moment Resisting Frames (MRFs), Seismic Resistance, Seismic Codes

Naqash, M. , Farooq, Q. and Harireche, O. (2019) Seismic Evaluation of Steel Moment Resisting Frames (MRFs)—Supported by Loose Granular Soil. Open Journal of Earthquake Research, 8, 37-51. doi: 10.4236/ojer.2019.82003.