Centrifuge modelling of the interaction between fault rupture and rows of rigid, shallow foundations

During earthquakes, fault ruptures can emerge at the ground surface generating large surface movements which may damage surface structures. Recent research has been conducted to investigate the behaviour of strip foundations placed parallel to the strike of a fault. However, the more realistic three dimensional problem of an earthquake fault interacting with one or many rectangular buildings resting on shallow foundations has not been studied. A series of centrifuge model tests have been conducted to investigate how single or rows of rectangular, surface foundations resting on sand interact with reverse fault ruptures. The paper reports methods which were used to capture the movements of foundations and presents data from a range of different fault-soil-infrastructure interaction tests. It is shown that the 'freefield' fault deviates around closely-spaced shallow foundations, but isolated (widely spaced) foundations are more vulnerable to damage.