Established in 1962, the Laboratory of Soil Mechanics (LSM) belongs to the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens. Directed by Professor George Gazetas, LSM supports three independent divisions (experimental Soil Mechanics and Dynamics, Theoretical-Analytical Soil Mechanics , and Simulation of Soil-Structure Systems) carrying out complementary research.
The recently-founded, ISO 9001−certified, Division for Simulation of Soil–Structure Systems aims at investigating the static and dynamic performance of soil–foundation–structure systems, through a balanced combination of numerical and experimental methods. State-of-the-art numerical analysis techniques are employed for numerical simulation, developing new analysis methods and constitutive models, and special purpose in-house software. Reduced-scale experiments are conducted to acquire the necessary experimental data to calibrate and validate numerical methods and constitutive models, but also to improve the understanding on the prevailing mechanisms, and to derive deeper insights on the key factors affecting the performance.
The Laboratory actively participates in EU-funded and National research projects, and offers its services to any interested Public or Private Organization. Conducting experiments at reduced-scale, the Laboratory is quite flexible and extremely effective, allowing the conduct of parametric experimental campaigns very fast and at reduced cost (compared to larger Facilities and more sophisticated centrifuge Laboratories).
The services offered by the Laboratory’s Division for Simulation of Soil–Structure Systems are:
- Static and dynamic Soil–Foundation–Structure Interaction (SFSI)
- Analysis of Fault Rupture Propagation through soil and Fault Rupture–Soil–Foundation–Structure Interaction (FR-SFSI)
- Seismic Vulnerability Assessment for Structures and Lifelines
- Static and Dynamic analysis of shallow and embedded foundations, pilegroups and piled-rafts, and caisson foundations
- Analysis and Design of Tunnels, Underground, and Retaining Structures
- Development of Sophisticated Numerical Analysis Algorithms for nonlinear dynamic soil response and Soil–Structure Interaction
- 1D Soil Response and Microzonation Studies : equivalent linear (SHAKE) and fully nonlinear analysis
- 2D and 3D Topography and Valley Effects
- Dynamic analysis of Rapid Catastrophic Landslides
- 3D Analysis of Slope Stabilization Piles and Shafts
- Seismic Isolation and sliding systems
- Dynamic Analysis of Railway Systems and Turnouts
