The most important features of linear soil-foundation-structure interaction
are reviewed, using stochastic modeling and considering kinematic interact
ion, inertial interaction, and structural distortion as three separate stag
es of the dynamic response to the free-field motion. The way in which each
of the three dynamic stages modifies the spectral density of the motion is
studied, with the emphasis being on interpretation of these results, rather
than on the development of new analysis techniques. Structural distortion
and inertial interaction analysis are shown to be precisely modeled as line
ar filtering operations. Kinematic interaction, though, is more complicated
, even though it has a filter-like effect on the frequency content of the m
otion.