Fundamentals and ETABS Applications

What you'll learn
- Understand the fundamentals of soil-structure interaction
- Use simplified FEMA and NIST procedures to estimate SSI effects
- Translate soil properties into equivalent springs and dashpots for analysis
- Model SSI in ETABS for buildings with raft foundations

Requirements
- Basic knowledge of earthquake engineering and familiarity with ETABS software

Description
Soil–Structure Interaction (SSI) is one of the most important yet often overlooked aspects of earthquake engineering. Many structural analyses assume buildings rest on a rigid, fixed base—but in reality, soil flexibility significantly alters structural response during earthquakes.

This course introduces the fundamentals of SSI in a clear, step-by-step manner, based primarily on two authoritative references:

FEMA P-2091: A Practical Guide to Soil–Structure Interaction(2020)

NIST GCR 12-917-21: Soil–Structure Interaction for Building Structures

The course begins with the basics of soil and structural dynamics, develops the principles of SSI, and then demonstrates how to incorporate these effects in practical building analysis usingETABS. By the end, you will be able to confidently model and interpret SSI effects for buildings with raft foundations under earthquake loading.

After completing the course, students will:

Have a strong conceptual foundation in soil–structure interaction.

Be able to apply FEMA and NIST simplified methods to real buildings.

Confidently build SSI-influenced models in ETABS for multi-story buildings with raft foundations.

Interpret SSI results and make informed engineering decisions about their significance.

Course Requirements

Basic knowledge of structural engineering and earthquake engineering is essential.

Familiarity with ETABS software at a beginner level is required.

No prior experience with soil–structure interaction is required.

Who this course is for:
- Civil and structural engineering students, especially those specializing in earthquake engineering
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