Random responses of soil deposits subjected to earthquake loading

Abstract A detailed analysis of random responses of a horizontally layered soil deposit, subjected to an earthquake occurrence, has been developed. Propagation of the random load, involving an elasto-plastic material (the Endochronic soil model), is described by the multivariate Ornstein-Uhlenbeck stochastic process. The method is based on finite difference approximation, and the Stochastic Equivalent Linearization Technique. The analysis gives time-dependent descriptions of random velocities as well as shear stresses in the soil system, and can serve as the input to assess many seismic-related geotechnical problems. The results from the Stochastic Equivalent Linearization Technique are then compared to the corresponding values given by the Monte Carlo simulations. Application of the results generated by the model in the area of liquefaction is also given.