Physical modelling of soil-structure interaction in the subsidence area

Failures of underground structures can affect the existing building on the ground surface. Investigation of soil-structure interactions is one of the most effective means of predicting the effect of failures on future structures and assessing damage on structures already existing in a subsidence area. The paper presents experimental results of the phenomena using a large scale physical model representing a masonry structure subject to subsidence settlement, using 1/40 scale factor on geometry and under the normal gravity. Homogenous sand is used for the analogue soil and the analogue masonry structure is built from small wooden pieces. Comparison of different positions of the structure on the surface is considered. Transfer ratios of displacements, slope, and deflexion are adopted to study the structure behaviour compared to the ground. Besides, the damage is evaluated with different criteria and completed by the consideration of the crack positions on the structure provided by Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique.