It is recognized that soil-structure interaction during strong earthquake ground shaking alters the response characteristics of a structural system. However there are no strong-motion data from instrumented buildings to confirm the validity of the soil-structure interaction analysis methods and procedures; even though the effects of this interaction are now included in various seismic codes (e.g. ATC-3, NEHRP-1985). Workshops held between 1978 and the present have repeatedly included the recommendation to instrument a building for soil-structure interaction studies. Although there are over 100 structures in the U.S. instrumented to measure the effects of strong earthquake ground shaking, there are no instrumented structures that would allow detailed calibration and/or confirmation of the validity of soil-structure interaction analysis methods. The objective of this workshop is to plan for and to design such an experiment, which is being undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey. This action is for support of this initiative by the National Science Foundation. The purposes of this workshop are: (a) to bring together a panel of experts to reach a consensus on the benefits and feasibility of implementing a soil-structure interaction experiment by instrumenting a building in a seismically-active region of the U.S., and (b) to plan the details for such an experiment.
