Effects of Strap Footing-Structure Interactions on Structural Responses Under Earthquake Loadings

Abstract

This article focused on a three-storey reinforced concrete building structure located on strap footing foundations and studied two cases: the non-seismic design building and the earthquake-resistant design building. The study took into consideration the building design standards for earthquake resistance of the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning standards 1302-52, as well as the interaction between the foundation structure and the soil. The study compared the size of the strap footing foundations located near the three types of soil layers (sand, soft clay and hard clay) to compared with fixed foundations and assessed structural damage according to Federal Emergency Management Agency standards, (FEMA 356) by considering the plastic rotation angle that occurs in structural parts during earthquakes. The results showed that the structure on strap footing foundations on soft clay layers were able to reduce base shear and structural damage caused by earthquakes more effectively than those with fixed foundations.