The anti-seismic problem of rural residential buildings is the weak link of seismic retrofitting in China. Recently, geotechnical seismic isolation (GSI) technology based on rubber–sand mixtures (GSI–RSM) using rubber–sand mixtures (RSM) between the structural foundation and the foundation soil has been proven to have the possibility of potential applications in rural residential buildings. Many theoretical studies exist on the effectiveness of seismic isolation of the GSI–RSM system, but few studies on either the seismic response test of model buildings placed on the RSM layer or the large-scale shaking table test exist. Therefore, this study considers a large shaking table test performed on a 1/4 single-story masonry structure model with and without a GSI–RSM system by selecting a standard input ground motion and varying input acceleration amplitudes. The test results show that the GSI–RSM system can reduce the seismic response of superstructures. The isolation effect of the GSI–RSM system is low in small earthquakes and increases with increasing earthquake magnitude. Overall, the RSM layer can filter part of the high-frequency components of the earthquake to transmit to the superstructure and consume more seismic energy by generating friction slip in the interaction with the structural foundation.

Immersed tunnels are typically built in areas subjected to ground motion. Therefore, an evaluation of the seismic performance of the soil-tunnel system is essential. A series of shaking-table tests was conducted to study the influences of the site soil and overlying water layer on the seismic responses of soil deposits and an immersed tunnel. Detailed information on the experiment setup is provided with special focus on the similitude relationship, fabrication of the model system, measurement setup, and loading procedures for a simulation of the seismic waves. Three groups of tests at different sites in dry sand, saturated sand, and saturated sand with an overlying water layer were carried out using the same seismic excitations. The seismic responses of the soil deposits and the dynamic responses of the tunnel model were obtained. The experiment results indicate that, when considering only horizontal earthquake excitations, soil liquefaction significantly influences the propagation of seismic waves and the dynamic responses of the tunnel, whereas the water layer has no obvious effects on the dynamic performance of the ground or tunnel. Furthermore, the acceleration responses of the tunnel elements were analyzed qualitatively, and the joints are deemed important elements in an antiseismic immersed tunnel design.

This study presents experimental results from shaking table tests on a reduced‐scale geogrid reinforced soil retaining wall (RSRW) to investigate the seismic response of the fundamental frequency, acceleration amplification, face displacement, backfill surface settlement, and reinforcement strain under different peak accelerations and durations. The fundamental frequency is in good agreement with the predicted values. The root mean square (RMS) acceleration amplification factors increase nonlinearly with the wall height and decrease with increasing seismic load, which is not regarded as a constant value. The distributions of the peak displacement are consistent with those of the residual displacement. The combination of the sliding and rotation is observed as the predominant mode of displacement, and the rotation mode is dominant. The positions near the face (35 cm) and the ends of the reinforcement (140 cm) demonstrated larger settlement than that of the central position (70 cm and 105 cm). The reinforcement strain increased with increasing peak acceleration and maximum values measured at the central layers. The trends of the potential failure surface are similar to those of the 0.3H bilinear failure surface. The friction coefficient is nonlinearly distributed along with the reinforcements, and the maximum friction coefficient appears at the top layer (F11).

In this paper, the shaking table tests of a Seismic–Soil–Pile–Superstructure Interaction (SSPSI) in medium-soft and hard base soil were carried out. Silted clay with a unit weight of 1.70 g/cm³ and a shear wave velocity of 175 m/s was adopted to simulate the medium-soft soil, while the composite soil obtained by adding 20% quicklime to silted clay with a unit weight of 1.75 g/cm³ and a shear wave velocity of 300 m/s was adopted to simulate the hard soil in the tests. By inputting the artificial seismic motion time history with different amplitudes synthesized by the RG1.60 response spectrum commonly used in nuclear power engineering to the models, the dynamic interaction characteristics and seismic response laws of the soil–pile–nuclear island structure in the medium-soft and hard base soil were compared, the internal force and deformation distribution characteristics of the pile foundation under different ground conditions were analyzed, and the site conditions and mechanism of seismic failure of the pile group foundation were described. The research results can provide a reference for site selection and seismic design of a nuclear power plant.

Subgrade reaction coefficient is commonly considered as the primary challenge in simplified seismic design of underground structures. Carrying out test is the most reliable way to acquire this intrinsic soil property. Owing to the limitations of experimental cost, time consumption, soil deformation mode, size effect, and confined condition, the existing testing methods cannot satisfy the requirements of high‐precision subgrade reaction coefficient in seismic design process of underground structures. Accordingly, the present study makes an attempt to provide new laboratory testing methods considering realistic seismic response of soil, based on shaking table test and quasistatic test. Conventional shaking table test for sandy free‐field was performed, with the results indicating that the equivalent normal subgrade reaction coefficients derived from the experimental hysteretic curves are reasonable and verifying the deformation mode under seismic excitation. A novel multifunctional quasistatic pushover device was invented, which can simulate the most unfavorable deformation mode of soil during the earthquake. In addition, the first successful application of an innovative quasistatic testing method in evaluating subgrade reaction coefficient was reported. The findings of this study provide preliminary detailed insights into subgrade reaction coefficient evaluation which can benefit seismic design of underground structures.

To study the dynamic response of a saturated sand-underground structure system subjected to earthquakes, a series of shaking table tests with a geometric scale ratio of 1/30 were conducted. Based on the experimental acceleration records of testing soil deposits, the relationship between dynamic shear stress and horizontal soil displacement was analyzed by the 1D shear beam inverse calculation method. Meanwhile, the development law of the equivalent dynamic horizontal subgrade reaction coefficient and the dynamic strain of the sidewall in the underground structure has also been discussed. The testing results indicate that the dynamic shear stress of the soil deposit under the bottom plate of the underground structure is larger than that of the soils surrounding the sidewall and above the roof plate; in addition, the soil displacement tends to decrease with the buried depth. The dynamic shear stress–displacement hysteretic loop of the soil deposits tends to be plump as the input amplitude increases. The spectral characteristics of ground motions obviously influence both the dynamic shear stress–displacement hysteretic curve and the excess pore water pressure ratio of saturated sand soil, especially under medium and strong excitations. The equivalent dynamic horizontal subgrade reaction coefficient decreases with the increase of soil depth, and the difference between the coefficient above and underneath the underground structure model can reach 7.589 MN/m³. On the contrary, the equivalent dynamic horizontal subgrade reaction coefficient decreases with the increase of the input amplitude of ground motions, and the maximum reduction ratios of the coefficient are 74.4%, 66.7%, and 47.3%, corresponding to the El-Centro, Kobe, and Wolong ground motions, respectively. The soil liquefaction has a certain effect on the equivalent dynamic horizontal subgrade reaction coefficient. In general, the dynamic strain at the top of the sidewall in the underground structure is higher than that at the bottom of the sidewall, which illustrates that the deformation of underground structures is in good agreement with the seismic deformation mode of soil deposits.