| Abstract: | A general procedure is presented to study the dynamic soil–structure interaction effects on the response of long-span suspension and cable-stayed bridges subjected to spatially varying ground motion at the supporting foundations. The foundation system is represented by multiple embedded cassion foundations and the frequency-dependent impedance matrix for the multiple foundations system takes into account also the cross-interaction among adjacent foundations through the soil. To illustrate the potential implementation of the analysis, a numerical example is presented in which the dynamic response of the Vincent–Thomas suspension bridge (Los Angeles, CA) subjected to the 1987 Whittier earthquake is investigated. Although both kinematic and inertial effects are included in the general procedure, only the kinematic effects of the soil–structure interaction are considered in the analysis of the test case. The results show the importance of the kinematic soil–foundation interaction on the structural response. These effects are related to the type, i.e. SH-, SV-, P- or Rayleigh waves and to the inclination of the seismic wave excitation. Moreover, rocking components of the foundation motion are emphasized by the embedment of the foundation system and greatly alter the structural response. |
