A Time-Domain Deconvolution Procedure for Soil Deposits with Nonlinear Properties

In this study, a procedure to perform a time-domain deconvolution in nonlinear elastoplastic materials has been proposed. The aim is to develop accelerograms at the base of a finite element model (FEM) from surface records to perform soil-structure interaction analyses. This procedure is based on finding a relationship between the surface response and the surface target spectrum, modifying the input signal at the base through a spectral matching technique until obtaining a surface response compatible with the target spectrum. To this end, a FEM of a soil deposit, considering its nonlinear properties and ground motion records from the L’Aquila earthquake, was used to validate the methodology; a Eurocode 8 design spectrum was used as the target. It was found that the procedure produces input signals at the base that generate surface spectra similar to the target spectrum, with errors lower than 10% for all considered periods. Results obtained demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed methodology.