Soil-Structure Interaction

Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI) refers to how the soil and a structure, like a building or bridge, influence each other's movement and stability. When a structure is built on the ground, it doesn’t just sit passively; the soil responds to the structure’s weight and forces, and the structure also reacts to the soil’s properties. This interaction affects how the structure behaves during events like earthquakes or heavy loads, impacting its safety and performance. Understanding SSI helps engineers design more resilient structures that can better withstand such forces by considering both the ground and the structure together.