Semi-Plenary Lecture 6

Room: E214
Time: Wednesday, 30. September 2026, 10:20 - 11:00
Chair: Daniil Yurchenko

Francesca Taddei

Professor of Mechanics and Structural Dynamics,
TU Wien, Austria

Dynamic performance of structures considering soil-structure interaction

Dynamic soil–structure interaction (DSSI) refers to the coupled dynamic response of a struc-tural system and the surrounding soil, transmitted through the foundation interface. The DSSI has been intensively investigated over the past decades, leading to a wide spectrum of modeling approaches that couple multiple disciplines in mechanics. These range from analytical solu-tions of the governing equations, to advanced high-order finite element formulations, to simpli-fied lumped-parameter models, and span both time–space and frequency–wavenumber do-mains. Despite this methodological richness, fundamental questions remain open: under which conditions does DSSI play a decisive role, and which modeling strategy is most appropriate for a given engineering scenario? This contribution reviews the principal categories of DSSI methods and relates historical and current usage trends to innovations in underground, foundation and structural engineering. It summarizes key lessons learned from past research works and projects on DSSI. A detailed case study is presented in which DSSI proves critical for the development of a new technology, highlighting the practical consequences of model selection. The keynote concludes with an out-look on emerging applications and future research directions in the field of DSSI

Keywords: Dynamic soil–structure interaction, lumped-parameter models, analytical solutions time–space domain, frequency–wavenumber domain.

Short Bio

Francesca Taddei is Professor of Mechanics and Structural Dynamics at TU Wien in Austria, since June 2025. She studied Civil Engineering at the University of Perugia and the University of Bristol, and earned her PhD from RWTH Aachen in 2014. She was a visiting researcher at the Dalian University of Technology (China), and from 2015 to 2024, she carried out research and teaching at the Technical University of Munich in Germany. Her work focuses on analytical and numerical methods in structural dynamics and seismic analysis, integrating concepts from acoustics, model order reduction, and metamaterials. Applications include soil-structure interaction and the impact of microseismic events on building safety and comfort. She has co-organized international seminars and mini-symposia in earthquake engineering and serves on the Standards Acoustics Committee for Noise Reduction and Vibration Control (NALS). Her teaching spans undergraduate and graduate levels and has been recognized with several awards, including the Ernst Otto Fischer Teaching Award.