Evaluation of Soil-Structure Interface Models

Modeling of the soil-structure interface has been a critical issue in geotechnical engineering. Numerous studies have simulated complex soil-structure interface behaviors. These models usually are assessed by direct comparisons between the simulations and experiments. However, little work has been done to compare the specific interface behaviors simulated by different interface models. This paper evaluated some frequently recognized interface behaviors for six different interface models. These models either were adopted from the existing literature or modified from the existing soil models, including the exponential model, hyperbolic model, hypoplastic model, MCC model, SANISAND model, and SIMSAND model. Global comparisons and effects of the soil density, normal stiffness, and shearing rate were investigated to evaluate the interface models based on Fontainebleau sand-steel interface experiments and kaolin clay-steel interface experiments. The limitations and advantages of different models under different conditions were discussed.