Hybrid modeling of soil-structure interaction in layered media

The hybrid modeling approach, which effectively solves soil-structure interaction problems, is extended for use in layered soil media. This approach partitions the entire structure-soil system into a near field which consists of the structure and a portion of its surrounding soil, modeled by the finite element method, and a far field which is responsible for energy travelling away from the near field represented by an impedance model. Two analytical methods, appropriate to different layered soil systems, are employed to simulate the semi-infinite far-field region. The system identification method, which determines the approximate far-field impedance functions along the interface between the near and far fields, is applied to the single-layered half-space in which a rigorous representation of the far-field is difficult to obtain by direct solution. A boundary solution method is developed to calculate the exact far-field impedance matrix for cases involving layers of soil having a rigid lower boundary.