| Summary: | The objective of this dissertation is to investigate the feasibility of using alternative methods for seismic protection of pile- and spread footing-supported bridge piers, which actually aim at ensuring foundation isolation. The method involves using modern industrial materials (such as geofoam) around the upper part of a pile, for reducing the seismic forces imposed to the system, and exploitation of the existing liquefiable soil layer as a natural base isolation system for structures founded on a shallow foundation. Based on elastodynamic theory, the problem of the pier-pile-geofoam-soil interaction is treated both analytically and numerically. The interaction of the pier-foundation-liquefied soil system is explored via equivalent linear analysis using pertinent values for the liquefied soil.
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