Computation of settlements induced by the seismic action
The computation of settlements induced by the seismic action is affected by significant uncertainties. The values that are obtained applying the procedures described below must be intended only as guidelines.
The settlement is considered to be the lowering of the surface level, or, the integral of the soil deformation in vertical direction, or, the sum of the products of the vertical mean deformation to the thickness of each of the deformed layers.
In oedometric conditions, or in the presence of homogeneous and horizontal soil layers, with constant stress in horizontal direction, the lateral deformations are null and therefore the vertical deformation coincides with the volumetric strain.
For simplicity and with accetptable approximation, except in cases of morphology with steep slopes and highly variable stratigraphy in horizontal direction, for the computation of settlements induced by the seismic action we can refer to the oedometric conditions.
The permanent settlement induced by the seismic action corresponding to a vertical exploration is obtained from the sum of the contributions to the settlement estimated in the various layers of the subsoil, until the depth at which these contributions are no longer significant.
The permanent post-seismic settlement can be calculated using the equation: S=Σεvi×Δzi; εvi is the volumetric strain (and vertical) of the i-th layer and Δzi its thickness.
The software LoadCap calculates the post seismic settlements for soft cohesive soils for which the extent of the reconsolidation settlement following the dissipation of the pore pressures accumulated during the earthquake can be calculated with the equation (Yasuhara and Andersen, 1991) while for the computation of the ratio of interstitial pressure it is used the empirical relationship (Matsui et al., 1980).
To expand the feathures of the software, two new computation models have been added:
- Settlements induced by the seismic action in granular saturated soils (volumetric strain, εvi computaion using Idriss and Boulanger, 2008).
- Settlements induced by the seismic action in unsaturated granular soils (volumetric strain εnc computation using Pradel, 1998)
Author: filippo catanzariti
http://www.geostru.eu Filippo Catanzariti (b. 4 June 1969, Calabria, Italy) is a civil engineer, software developer and entrepreneur.
He graduated in Civil Engineering, geotechnical track, at the University of Calabria in 1996, with a thesis entitled "Programma di calcolo per l'analisi della stabilita dei pendii con metodi numerici avanzati" (A calculation program for slope stability analysis using advanced numerical methods) - the work that became his first commercial product. He has been registered with the Order of Engineers of Reggio Calabria (no. 1839) since 1996.
From 1996 to 1999 he worked as an analyst and software developer specialising in numerical algorithms, in Pascal, Visual Basic, Fortran and Visual C++, and in full-stack web development. He works with advanced 2D and 3D mathematical models and with graphics programming in OpenGL and DirectX.
In 1999 he founded GeoStru, an international geotechnical software house whose catalogue he largely authored: slope stability and rockfall analysis, foundations and retaining structures, finite element analysis, geophysics and site investigation, hydrology and hydrogeology, and reinforced concrete design. Since 2016 he has run SC Engsoft S.r.l. in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and he is technical and scientific consultant to GoMeeting. His most recent work is GeoStru.ai, a platform delivering geotechnical and civil calculation through natural-language conversation while keeping the analysis itself on deterministic, auditable algorithms.
Between 2005 and 2013 he co-supervised degree theses at the University of Calabria and the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria. He teaches accredited professional-development courses for geologists and engineers under accreditation from the Italian Consiglio Nazionale dei Geologi.
His peer-reviewed work includes papers in Green World Journal (2021), Marine and Petroleum Geology (2022), Journal of Mediterranean Earth Sciences (2022), Geosciences (2024) and Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment (2026), together with memorie at the XXVII and XXVIII Italian National Geotechnical Conferences. He co-authored "Terre rinforzate" (EPC Editore, 2023) and "Terrae Motus".
He has been a member of AGI, ISRM, ISSMGE and AGI-IGS since 2014, and holds a certificate from AGS (Association of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Specialists).
ORCID: 0009-0001-2495-6395 - Scopus Author ID: 57936189800 - Google Scholar: ZiY1VZUAAAAJ
