Effects of random variations of soil properties on site amplification of seismic ground motions

This paper investigates the effects of random variations of soil properties on site amplification of seismic waves. First, based on attenuation laws and the filtered Tajimi–Kanai spectrum, seismic motion at the base rock of a soil site is stochastically generated according to an assumed earthquake with a given magnitude and epicentral distance. Motions on the surface of this layered random soil site are calculated by nonlinear wave propagation methods, and by assuming the incoming seismic wave consisting of SH wave or combined P and SV waves. Soil properties, including shear modulus, damping ratio and mass density, as well as ground water level are considered as random in the numerical calculation. The Rosenblueth method is used to solve the random dynamic responses of the soil site. Parametric calculations are performed to investigate the effects of various parameters on site amplification of seismic waves. The mean and maximum ground motions on surface of the site are estimated. Numerical results indicate that the estimated surface motions differ substantially if the random variations of soil properties and soil saturation level are taken into consideration in the analysis.     

An identification procedure of soil profile characteristics from two free field acclerometer records

In this paper, an analytical, numerical and experimental approach for identifying soil profile characteristics by using system identification and free field records, is presented. First, a theoretical soil amplification function for two sites is defined and expressed in terms of the different parameters of the layers constituting the soil profiles (thickness, damping ratio, shear wave velocity and unit weight). Then, this function is smoothed with an analogous function obtained from experimental data by using the least squares minimization technique. The identification of the parameters is performed by solving, numerically, a non-linear optimisation problem. To demonstrate the numerical efficiency and the validity of this approach, two examples are treated. The first one consists in the identification of characteristics of a given uniform soil layer. The second example consists in the experimental validation of this approach with the data recorded within the Garner Valley Down Hole Array (GVDA). Finally, this approach is applied to identify, simultaneously, soil profile characteristics of sites from only a single soil acceleration record at free surface of each site. This procedure is utilised to identify soil profile characteristics of sites by using strong ground motions data recorded during the recent Boumerdes earthquake of May 21, 2003.     

Non-linear site response simulations in Chang-Hwa region during the 1999 Chi–Chi earthquake, Taiwan

The destructive 1999 Chi–Chi earthquake (M_w 7.5) was the largest inland earthquake in Taiwan in the 20th century. Several observations witness the non-linear seismic soil response in sediments during the earthquake. In fact, large settlements as well as evidence of liquefaction attested by sand boils and unusual wet ground surface were observed at some sites. In this paper, we present a seismic response simulation performed with CyberQuake software on a site located within the Chang-Hwa Coastal Industrial Park during the 1999 Chi–Chi earthquake in Taiwan. A non-linear multi-kinematic dynamic constitutive model is implemented in the software. Computed NS, EW and UP ground accelerations obtained with this model under undrained and two-phase assumptions, are in good agreement with the corresponding accelerations recorded at seismic station TCU117, either for peak location, amplitudes or frequency content. In these simulations, liquefaction occurs between depths 1.3 and 11.3 m, which correspond to the observed range attested by in place penetration tests and other liquefaction analyses. Moreover, the computed shear wave velocity profile is very close to post-earthquake shear wave velocity profile derived from correlations with CPT and SPT data. Finally, it is shown that in non-linear computations, even though a 1D geometry is considered, it is necessary to take into account the three components of the input motion.     

Stochastic seismic response of multi-layered soil with random layer heights

This paper deals with the effect of layer height randomness on the seismic response of a layered soil. These parameters are assumed to be lognormal random variables. The analysis is carried out via Monte Carlo simulations coupled with the stiffness matrix method. A parametric study is conducted to derive the stochastic behavior of the peak ground acceleration and its response spectrum,the transfer function and the amplification factors. The input soil characteristics correspond to a site in Mexico City and the input seismic accelerations correspond to the Loma Prieta earthquake. It is found that the layer height heterogeneity causes a widening of the frequency content and a slight increase in the fundamental frequency of the soil profile,indicating that the resonance phenomenon is a concern for a large number of structures. Variation of the layer height randomness acts as a variation of the incident angle,i.e.,a decrease of the amplitude and a shift of the resonant frequencies.     

土层平均剪切波速确定及其可靠性验证——基于钻井台阵强震动记录

震害资料显示,场地条件对地震动特性以及工程结构破坏程度影响显著。为减少因场地效应而造成的经济损失和社会影响,在进行场地地震反应分析时,需最大限度地减小因场地土层模型参数的不确定性引起的地震动评估偏差,为工程结构地震反应分析选取并生成适当的地震动输入。随着强震动观测技术的逐渐发展,大量可靠的钻井台阵记录为地震过程中场地观测点的动力反应提供了直接数据。以美国加州地区La Cienega钻井台阵强震动观测数据为基础,利用互相关函数,对不同强度地震作用下场地土层的平均剪切波速进行分析,并在此基础上,以Cyclic 1D为模拟平台,建立一维自由场地地震反应有限元分析模型。分析结果表明：通过钻井台阵地震动观测数据识别,得到场地平均剪切波速,能够反映该场地的动力特性,数值模拟计算结果和台阵地震动记录基本吻合,可为数值模型参数选取提供依据。     

Identification and modeling of earthquake ground response - II. Site liquefaction

Downhole records of seismically-induced soil liquefaction are a valuable source of information on the associated mechanisms of stiffness degradation and lateral spreading. In this paper, free-field downhole array seismic records are employed to identify and model the recorded response at Wildlife Refuge (California, USA) and Port Island (Kobe, Japan) sites. The Wildlife Refuge site was instrumented in 1982 with a two-accelerometer array and six piezometers that recorded a case of seismically induced site liquefaction. At Port Island, a four-accelerometer down-hole array recorded strong motion during the recent 1995 Hyogoken-Nanbu earthquake. This earthquake resulted in widespread liquefaction and major ground deformations at Port Island. Using the recorded downhole accelerations at these two sites, the actual seismic shear stress-strain histories are directly evaluated. These histories provide valuable insight into the mechanisms of site liquefaction and associated loss of stiffness and strength. Based on the identified dynamic soil behaviors, computational simulations of the observed seismic response are performed. Optimization techniques are employed to estimate the necessary computational modeling parameters. This document constitutes the second part of a set of two companion papers about site amplification and liquefaction.     

土层对地震的随机反应分析

利用随机振动理论,本文研究了非均匀土层对地震的动力反应问题,假定土层的剪切模量随深度呈指数函数形式分布,关于基岩输入地震动加速度的功率谱密度函数,考虑了两种形式：白噪声谱和有色谱,为了比较起见,文中考虑了均匀土层的情形,数值计算表明;（１）在基岩输入地震动加速度的功率谱密度为白谱的情况下,土层的最大期望反应（相对位移,绝对加速度,剪应变）大于基岩输入地震动的功率谱为有色谱的情形;（２）在土层的上部     

Stochastic analysis of ground response using non-recursive algorithm

During an earthquake, the amplitudes of seismic wave may amplify significantly as it propagates through the soil layers near the ground surface. Analysis of site amplification potential is strongly influenced by the uncertainty associated to the definition of soil thickness and its properties. In this paper, the non-recursive algorithm is used in linear and nonlinear Hybrid Frequency Time Domain (HFTD) approaches for stochastic analysis of site amplification. The non-recursive algorithm causes time reduction of analysis that is the essential base of stochastic analysis. The selected soil stochastic parameters are shear wave velocity, density, damping and thickness. The results of sensitivity analysis also show that the damping ratio is the most effective parameter in PGA at ground surface. The stochastic peak ground acceleration, response spectrum and amplification factor at the ground surface are determined by the two approaches for four sites with different average shear wave velocities. Comparison of the results shows that the nonlinear HFTD approach predicts closer response to real recorded data with respect to linear HFTD.     

Calculation of free field response spectrum of a non-homogeneous soil deposit from bed rock response spectrum

In this paper, a method to determine free field response spectrum of a soil deposit from a specified bed rock response spectrum is presented. This method treats the earthquake motion as if it was a stationary Gaussian random process but to account for the non-stationary character, an approximate method is used. The soil deposit is assumed to have mechanical properties (strength, shear modulus, etc.) increasing with some power exponent of depth. This layer overlies either a compliant elastic half space or a layer with shear modulus increasing linearly with depth.To demonstrate the validity and usefulness of this approach, two examples are presented. The first one consists in the transfer, from bed rock to free surface of a given soil profile, of the response spectrum derived from an accelerogram used to generate the Eurocode 8 response spectrum. The obtained free field response spectrum is compared to the one obtained by using a wave propagation program. The second example consists in the validation of this method with experimental records.     

Identification and modeling of earthquake ground response - I. Site amplification

Seismic downhole-array data provide a unique source of information on actual soil (and overall site) behavior over a wide range of loading conditions that are not readily covered by in-situ or laboratory experimentation procedures. In this paper, free-field downhole-array seismic records are employed to identify and model the recorded response at the Lotung (Taiwan) and Treasure Island (California) sites. At Lotung, a five-accelerometer array recorded the site response during 18 earthquakes (1985–1986). The Treasure Island site was instrumented in 1992 with an array of six accelerometers that recorded a low amplitude earthquake in 1993. Using this downhole data, correlation and spectral analyses are performed to evaluate shear wave propagation characteristics, variation of shear wave velocity with depth and site resonant frequencies and model configurations. In addition, the actual seismic shear stress-strain histories are directly evaluated from the recorded downhole accelerations. These histories provide valuable insight into the mechanisms of site amplification, damping and pore-pressure build-up. Computational simulations of these case histories are performed based on the identified mechanisms of site response. In a companion paper, two additional case histories of site liquefaction are analyzed using records of downhole seismic response.     

Local seismic site amplification: effects of obliquely incident antiplane motions

Seismic site amplification studies are generally used to assess the effects of local geology and soil conditions on ground motion characteristics. Although extensive reviews on site amplification phenomena associated with stratigraphic effects can be found in the specialized literature, it should be pointed out that most of the practical applications have been limited to the study of vertically propagating shear horizontal (SH) waves, i.e., to the 1-D soil amplification problem. Furthermore, little attention, if any, has been devoted to the study of the effects of non-vertically incident SH waves on surface accelerograms and on the earthquake response of structures. In the present work, the study is extended to an investigation of 2-D site amplification of non-vertically propagating seismic shear waves in multilayered viscoelastic soil deposits. Sensitivity analyses of the effects of non-vertical incidence on site amplification functions are performed based on site geotechnical data collected from post-seismic investigations of the 1980 El-Asnam earthquake. Analytical results are discussed in terms of seismic site transfer functions, spectral ratios, surface acceleration time histories, and structural response spectra for different values of wave incidence angle. Both bedrock and rock outcropping cases are examined.     

Site response in the Qionghai Basin in the Wenchuan earthquake

Amplification effects of soil site response can significantly impact ground motions, and must be considered in the seismic fortification of buildings/structures to prevent or mitigate this potential seismic hazard. Utilizing acceleration time histories from the main shock of the Wenchuan earthquake recorded at four stations (i.e., one on bedrock and three on soil) in the Qionghai Basin, the site responses from three soil sites are studied by using the traditional spectral ratio method. The bedrock site is selected as a reference site. This study found that peak ground accelerations (PGAs) on the soil sites are much larger than on bedrock, with EW, NS and UD components of 3.96–6.58, 6.27–10.98, and 3.17–6.66 times those of the bedrock site, respectively. The amplification effects of the soil sites on ground motions in the frequency range of 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz are significant, depending on the thickness of the soil layer and the frequency content of the site. A significant amplification occurs with high frequency components of ground motion at shallow soil sites, and low and high frequency components of ground motion at intermediate soil sites.     

Two-dimensional nonlinear site response analysis of Adapazarı plain and predictions inferred from aftershocks of the Kocaeli earthquake of 17 August 1999

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of local site conditions in the Adapazarı plain crossing the severely damaged central part of Sakarya during the 17th August earthquake. A two-dimensional model has been used to obtain the free-field motions in the valley and on surface formations. A preliminary geotechnical profile model developed from available but limited soil data was checked using recordings of some specific locations where a strong ground motion accelerometer array was in operation after the main earthquake. The range of validity of the model was assessed and modifications were made to compare with the actual recorded motions. The purpose of building such a model, which was used to study the aftershocks in Adapazarı, is to provide an improved database to be used for the design of structures in the city. This study also attempts to provide greater insight into the local site response phenomena through the use of a two-dimensional nonlinear analysis. Simulated site responses are in global agreement with the recorded data. In general agreement between the amplification functions of the computed and recorded data is satisfactory for the frequencies of engineering interest. Alluvial sites show amplification factors in the range of 4–6 in the frequencies between 0.6 and 2 Hz. A relatively shallow alluvial station, HASTAHANE, experienced considerable amplification for small aftershocks and deamplification for the strongest aftershock in frequencies between 0.5 and 2 Hz. Another station, TOYOTA, with significant deamplification characteristics and a clearly observed peak response frequency shift at the soil resonant frequency may have experienced soil shear failure during the strongest aftershock. Other alluvial stations, SEKER and GENC, show deamplification characteristics at 0.55 and at around 1 Hz. with the peak frequency shifts during the magnitude 5.8 aftershock. In general, site responses are larger in the alluvial basin for all aftershocks except the magnitude 5.8 event.     

Validation of small strain properties from recorded weak seismic motions

During the last decade, there has been an increased interest in the computations of surface ground motions from known rock outcrop motions. The main advantage of the procedure is to allow for the actual variation of strength and stiffness properties of heterogeneous soil profiles, eventually accounting for non-linear soil behavior. The main questions raised against the adequacy of such a procedure lie upon the reliability of the computational scheme and in the representativity of the soil constitutive relationship. The present paper addresses both aspects by comparing the motions computed assuming standard assumptions in the state of practice of earthquake engineering. Since until now, the downhole array recorded only weak motions (horizontal peak ground accelerations smaller than 0·04 g), the paper focuses on elastic soil properties. It is demonstrated that a carefully conducted geotechnical survey yields an accurate shear wave velocity profile and that rate-independent soil damping might not be appropriate to represent the soil behavior in the small strain range.     

Centrifuge modeling of seismic response of layered soft clay

Centrifuge modeling is a valuable tool used to study the response of geotechnical structures to infrequent or extreme events such as earthquakes. A series of centrifuge model tests was conducted at 80g using an electro-hydraulic earthquake simulator mounted on the C-CORE geotechnical centrifuge to study the dynamic response of soft soils and seismic soil–structure interaction (SSI). The acceleration records at different locations within the soil bed and at its surface along with the settlement records at the surface were used to analyze the soft soil seismic response. In addition, the records of acceleration at the surface of a foundation model partially embedded in the soil were used to investigate the seismic SSI. Centrifuge data was used to evaluate the variation of shear modulus and damping ratio with shear strain amplitude and confining pressure, and to assess their effects on site response. Site response analysis using the measured shear wave velocity, estimated modulus reduction and damping ratio as input parameters produced good agreement with the measured site response. A spectral analysis of the results showed that the stiffness of the soil deposits had a significant effect on the characteristics of the input motions and the overall behavior of the structure. The peak surface acceleration measured in the centrifuge was significantly amplified, especially for low amplitude base acceleration. The amplification of the earthquake shaking as well as the frequency of the response spectra decreased with increasing earthquake intensity. The results clearly demonstrate that the layering system has to be considered, and not just the average shear wave velocity, when evaluating the local site effects.     

卵石土场地地震反应特征振动台试验研究

为研究卵石土场地地震反应特征,基于四川成都典型卵石土场地,通过振动台模型试验研究卵石土场地在不同地震波、不同地震强度激励下的加速度峰值放大系数、加速度频谱反应及动土压力反应,并且对其场地地震反应非线性效应及土体动剪应力-动剪应变关系进行分析。结果表明：卵石土场地表层土层对地震波具有明显的放大效应,加速度峰值放大系数介于1～1.4之间,下部土层放大效应较小,加速度峰值放大系数介于0.9～1.2之间。卵石土场地对地震波具有低频放大,高频滤波的作用,滤波频率上、下限随激励强度的增大逐渐向低频方向移动。激励强度较小时,土体尚未破坏,动土压力在地震过程中逐渐增大;随着激励强度的增大,动土压力反应明显增大,表现出骤减后逐渐增大的现象。在激励强度较小时(SN1),中部土体最先进入非线性反应阶段,地震波在中部土层能量损耗最大;激励强度较大时(EL3),土体均发生了较大变形,土体最大动剪应变达到1.7%,此时卵石土场地对地震波的放大作用明显减弱。     

Evaluating nonlinear effective stress site response analyses using records from the Canterbury earthquake sequence

A widely used one-dimensional nonlinear effective stress site response analysis program is used to model the response of potentially liquefiable soils during strong shaking. Ground motion records from six events of the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence and the extensive site investigation data that have been obtained for the Christchurch area provide the basis for the analyses. The results of the analyses depend significantly on the input motions and soil profile characterization, so these important aspects are examined. Deconvolved Riccarton Gravel input motions were generated, because recorded rock or firm layer motions were not available. Nonlinear effective stress seismic site response analyses are shown to capture key aspects of the observed soil response through the comparison of acceleration response spectra of calculated surface motions to those of recorded surface motions; however, equivalent-linear and total stress nonlinear analyses capture these aspects as well. Biases in the computed motions compared to recorded motions were realized for some cases but they can be attributed primarily to the uncertainty in the development of the input motions used in the analyses.     

Non‐stationary seismic response of tanks with soil interaction by wavelets

A wavelet‐based random vibration theory has been developed for the non‐stationary seismic response of liquid storage tanks including soil interaction. The ground motion process has been characterized via estimates of statistical functionals of wavelet coefficients obtained from a single time history of ground accelerations. The tank–liquid–soil system has been modelled as a two‐degree‐of‐freedom (2‐DOF) system. The wavelet domain equations have been formulated and the wavelet coefficients of the required response state are obtained by solving two linear simultaneous algebraic equations. The explicit expression for the instantaneous power spectral density function (PSDF) in terms of the functionals of the input wavelet coefficients has been obtained. The moments of this PSDF are used to estimate the expected pseudo‐spectral acceleration (PSA) response of the tank. Parametric variations are carried out to study the effects of tank height, foundation natural frequency, shear wave velocity of soil and ratio of the mass of tank (including liquid) to the mass of foundation on the PSA responses of tanks. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of preloading on the amplification characteristics of soil profiles

Preloading is a temporary loading, usually an embankment, applied to improve subsurface soils by densification. This paper studies the effect of preloading on the amplification characteristics of soft sites with an elaborate parametric analysis. The soil type, the depth of the bedrock, the water table depth, the level of preloading, the applied earthquake, the shear wave velocity of the bedrock and the shear modulus and damping versus shear strain relations were varied in a systematic manner. The analysis was performed by the commonly used one-dimensional equivalent-linear dynamic method. The shear wave velocity versus depth and the effect of preloading on shear velocity are computed with well-established soil mechanics equations. The results illustrated that the seismic response at the top of the profile generally decreases as a result of preloading. A more detailed analysis of results shows that the effect of preloading on the seismic response depends on the soil type and the depth of the bedrock. Based on these results, a method is proposed by which a practicing engineer involved with improvement of soft ground can simulate the effect of preloading on the seismic motion.     

土层结构对地表加速度峰值的影响

本文在研究我国数百个工程场地钻孔资料的基础上，选取和构造了若干有代表性的典型场地剖面，利用目前工程上广泛应用的场地地震反应分析的一维等效线性化波动方法，计算了不同场地在三种不同强度的地震动输入下的地表加速度峰值反应。分析研究了覆盖层厚度、软土层的埋深与厚度等对场地地表加速度峰值的影响，得到了一些有意义的结论。