Domain reduction method: Formulation, possibilities, and examples for analyzing seismic soil-structure interaction

The Domain Reduction Method (DRM) enables the analysis of seismic soil-structure interaction in a different way compared to other seismic methods. Additionally, it allows certain very important aspects of the mentioned interaction, which are ignored in the usual seismic methods for justified reasons, to be addressed. All this, as well as the fact that this method is still unknown to the professional public and has not been implemented in modern seismic standards, motivated the writing of a paper in which the formulation of the DRM was first presented in detail. Then, the possibilities and approaches to its application in engineering practice were analyzed. In the end, simple dynamic analyses of the seismic interaction of the foundation soil and the pile-supported structure are performed using the DRM, a very specific and insufficiently researched type of seismic soil-structure interaction. Among other things, the results of the performed linear-elastic analyses point to the eventual possibility that the Lateral force seismic method, which is recommended by the Eurocode 8 standard for regular structures and which is most often used in engineering practice, underestimates the level of the lateral seismic load of pile-supported structures. A correct assessment of the seismic load is a fundamental requirement for ensuring a sufficient level of seismic resistance in structures.