Topographic effects on the Monte Po Hill in Catania (Italy)

The study regards an evaluation of site effects on and near the Monte Po hill, located in the north-eastern part of the city of Catania (Italy), an area at high seismic risk. At the beginning of 2007 a seismic station was located in a school building, situated at the slope toe, but no seismic events have been recorded as yet. Therefore, synthetic seismograms have been used to evaluate the ground response analysis at the surface. Because the average slope is moderate (less than 15°), 1-D computer codes have been used to model the equivalent-linear earthquake site response analyses of layered hill deposits, as generally performed by professionals. However, the slope response has also been analysed in greater detail, using a 2-D computer code and the soil characterisation has been evaluated accurately by means of borings, Down-Hole tests, SDMT tests and laboratory tests. Comparing 1-D with 2-D results the stratigraphic site amplification and the Topographic Aggravation Factor (TAF) have also been computed. The aim of the study is that it will form a basis for the design of works to remediate the damage caused by a landslide reactivated by the earthquake in Eastern Sicily on December 13, 1990 (M_L=5.4).     

Microzonation study in the Paganica-San Gregorio area affected by the April 6, 2009 L��Aquila earthquake (central Italy) and implications for the reconstruction

The earthquake of April 6th, 2009 in the L’Aquila area is one of the largest seismic events of the last years in Italy. The event, that caused significant damage in a large area of the Abruzzo region (cental Italy) and site amplification phenomena which were recorded even at large distances from the epicentre. After the emergency period, a detailed study of the surface effects was necessary for the post-earthquake reconstruction, but in a way it should be carried out rapidly enough to give instructions to urban planners, codes to public administrators and information to engineers. A team of surveyors were trained to collect field information such as geologic and geomorphologic features and geotechnical or geophysical information. The seismic inputs, for the numerical analyses, were provided, and the collected information were analyzed with the aid of dynamic codes to calculate the possible local site effects. The results are presented as acceleration response spectra, amplification coefficients (FA, FV and FH) and microzonation maps, aimed to urban planning and project design. In particular the more dangerous areas, affected by the higher amplification effects, were identified. Finally a comparison between the results obtained by the numerical analyses and the results derived from an experimental field analysis, measuring both earthquake weak motion and ambient noise, were performed. In this paper we present the results for one of the most severely damaged area (up to IX-X MCS), the Paganica–Tempera–Onna-San Gregorio area, located 6 to 10 km east of the April 6th main shock.     

2D equivalent linear site effect simulation: example applications to two deep valleys

In the framework of the Sismovalp European project, an equivalent linear 2D code was developed to compute the response of a valley to SH waves, using the discrete wave-number method proposed by Aki and Larner (Aki K, Larner KL (1970) J Geophys Res 75:5). To overcome the frequency upper bound limitation, the Aki and Larner’s method is combined with a one-dimensional computation using a classical multi-layer method (Aki K, Richards PG (1980) Quantitative Seismology: Theory and Methods, vols. 1 & 2. W.H. Freeman & Co, San Francisco). The so-called “Aki–Larner extended method” is associated to an iterative algorithm, as proposed by Seed and Idriss (Seed HB, Idriss IM (1969) Report No. EERC 70–10, Earthquake Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, California) which accounts for the modulus and damping degradation using a linear visco-elastic model. A comparison of the results in the linear and the equivalent linear cases, for a magnitude 6.0 earthquake, shows that the account for the equivalent linear behaviour of the soil significantly reduces the amplification level, especially at frequencies higher than the fundamental resonance frequency of the site. In the case of site effects or microzonation studies devoted to produce design spectra for engineering structures, this can have a major impact on the associated results and costs, depending on the frequency of interest for the considered structure. As a first application of the developed technique, 2D equivalent linear Aki–Larner computations are used to perform the seismic microzonation study of the upper Rhone valley, in the Visp area (Switzerland), a typical 2D alpine valley. These investigations made it possible to determine site specific spectra, associated with different zones, to be used instead of the code spectra that do not take into account the local 2D amplification.     

基于SOILQUAKE软件方法的厚层淤泥场地设防地震动参数确定探讨

以天津滨海某厚层淤泥场地为例,分别采用等效线性化法（LSSRLI-1）和新一代土层地震反应分析SOILQUAKE软件方法在场地危险性计算确定的不同设防水准地震动输入条件下进行了建模土层地震反应计算。计算结果表明：（1）对厚层淤泥软弱场地,与新版区划图结果相比等效线性化法可能会低估场地地震作用,甚至是低估场地设防烈度;（2） SOILQUAKE软件方法在软弱场地设计地震动参数确定时仍能体现一定的放大作用,尤其是强地震动作用下,克服了等效线性化方法在软弱场地计算时出现的设计谱明显矮、宽现象,与当前认识相一致,为软弱场地重大工程设防参数确定提供了参考;（3） SOILQUAKE软件方法在软弱场地设计地震动参数确定较新版区划图结果设防标准有大幅度提高,考虑到相关抗震设防规范的协调性,还需进一步对其他类型软弱场地进行大量强震记录输入计算检验,以便更好的工程应用。     

The plurality effect of topographical irregularities on site seismic response

Topography can have significant effects on seismic ground response during an earthquake because topographic irregularities cause considerable differences between the seismic waves emitted by the source and the waves reaching the ground surface. When a seismic motion happens in a topographically irregular area, seismic waves are trapped and reflected between the topographic features. Therefore, the interaction between topographies can amplify seismic ground response. In order to reveal how interaction between topographies influences seismic response, several numerical finite element studies have been performed by using the ABAQUS program. The results show that topographic features a greater distance between the seismic source and the site would cause greater seismic motion amplification and is perceptible for the hills far away from the source and the ridges. Also, site acceleration response is impacted by surrounding topography further than site velocity and displacement response.     

Point and fault rupture stochastic methods for generating simulated accelerograms considering soil effects for structural analysis

Many seismic codes such as the Eurocode 8 allow the use of simulated accelerograms for structural analysis, provided that the samples used are adequately qualified with regard to the seismogenetic features of the sources and to the soil conditions appropriate to the site. In the present work we studied the possibility of using stochastic methods for that purpose. In that context, two computer programs for stochastic ground motion simulation considering soil effects were developed: ACELGER based on a point source model, and SIMULSIS based on a finite fault model. Both programs were used to simulate the 1992 Landers earthquake for their validation. Simulation results obtained with these programs were compared between each other to better understand the influence of source fault plane geometry in structural response. Results seem to indicate that finite fault models are better options for structural analysis, because only with them it is possible to reproduce directivity effects and non stationary structural response observed with recorded accelerograms. SIMULSIS was also used to carry out the simulation of the 1980 Azores earthquake (January 1, 1980, Portugal) in two islands, with different local site conditions, which were compared with observed damages, to better understand the influence of soil geology in structural response, and showed that site effects have a major importance in structural behaviour.     

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。     

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.     

Seismic response of underground utility tunnels: shaking table testing and FEM analysis

Underground utility tunnels are widely used in urban areas throughout the world for lifeline networks due to their easy maintenance and environmental protection capabilities. However, knowledge about their seismic performance is still quite limited and seismic design procedures are not included in current design codes. This paper describes a series of shaking table tests the authors performed on a scaled utility tunnel model to explore its performance under earthquake excitation. Details of the experimental setup are first presented focusing on aspects such as the design of the soil container, scaled structural model, sensor array arrangement and test procedure. The main observations from the test program, including structural response, soil response, soil-structure interaction and earth pressure, are summarized and discussed. Further, a finite element model (FEM) of the test utility tunnel is established where the nonlinear soil properties are modeled by the Drucker-Prager constitutive model; the master-slave surface mechanism is employed to simulate the soil-structure dynamic interaction; and the confining effect of the laminar shear box to soil is considered by proper boundary modeling. The results from the numerical model are compared with experiment measurements in terms of displacement, acceleration and amplification factor of the structural model and the soil. The comparison shows that the numerical results match the experimental measurements quite well. The validated numerical model can be adopted for further analysis.     

Site response effects on an urban overpass

Strong ground motion variability due to rapid changes in subsoil conditions may lead to different site responses, which in turn yields to beneficial or detrimental soil–foundation–structure interaction. This technical note presents the results of a seismic soil–structure interaction analysis conducted using a 2D finite difference model, developed with the program FLAC, of a critical section of a 60 km long strategic urban overpass, which is under construction in Mexico City, for a M_w 8.7 earthquake. Initially, the response of the free field was calibrated comparing the values obtained with FLAC, with those gathered using the computer code QUAD4M. Good agreement was observed between the results generated with these programs. Accelerations and displacements were determined at the upper deck and foundation of the urban overpass. Important seismic soil–structure interaction was observed along the overpass at the supports analyzed. This numerical study helps to gain insight regarding the site response ground motion incoherence effects that influence the dynamic behavior of this kind of structures during extreme events.     

Vertical earthquake response of megawatt‐sized wind turbine with soil‐structure interaction effects

The dynamic response of a wind turbine on monopile is studied under horizontal and vertical earthquake excitations. The analyses are carried out using the finite element program SAP2000. The finite element model of the structure is verified against the results of shake table tests, and the earthquake response of the soil model is verified against analytical solutions of the steady‐state response of homogeneous strata. The focus of the analyses in this paper is the vertical earthquake response of wind turbines including the soil‐structure interaction effects. The analyses are carried out for both a non‐homogeneous stratum and a deep soil using the three‐step method. In addition, a procedure is implemented which allows one to perform coupled soil‐structure interaction analyses by properly tuning the damping in the tower structure. The analyses show amplification of the ground surface acceleration to the top of the tower by a factor of two. These accelerations are capable of causing damage in the turbine and the tower structure, or malfunctioning of the turbine after the earthquake; therefore, vertical earthquake excitation is considered a potential critical loading in design of wind turbines even in low‐to‐moderate seismic areas. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variability of seismic response of soils using stochastic finite element method

The evaluation of seismic response of soil sites constitutes an important problem with respect to groundmotion amplification and soil instability because of liquefaction. The base motion generated during earthquake is a random process. In addition, the soil sites are usually homogenous with randomly varying characteristics. The uncertainties associated with the input motion and site characteristics may lead to a wide range of variability of the site response. In this paper, a Monte-Carlo based stochastic finite element method is used to study the variability of seismic response.     

基于台阵记录的土层山体场地效应分析

选取2008年5月25日至8月7日期间由甘肃省文县上城山地形效应台阵获取的12次汶川地震余震事件(M_S≥4.0),在分析其地震动基本参数的基础上,采用参考场地谱比(RSSR)法和水平-竖向谱比(HVSR)法,研究了不同地震作用下上城山地形台阵的场地效应.分析结果显示:随着高程和覆盖层的增加,记录台站地震动的PGA呈增大趋势,地震频谱形状由宽变窄;上城山台阵记录到的地震波在地形基阶频段(2—4 Hz)和浅部土层频段(7—9 Hz)的幅值明显放大,RSSR曲线显示山顶NS向的土层频段谱比大于山体地形频段谱比;由于土层山体竖向地震动在中高频段放大,使得HVSR方法谱比结果在中高频段较RSSR方法所得结果明显偏低,而在山体基阶频段附近两种方法的谱比值接近.松散土层山体的台阵记录特征体现了地形和土层对地震动的联合作用,揭示了强震区起伏地形场地震害加重及地震滑坡集中发生的原因所在.      

山东数字地震台站场地响应估算

为了建立山东省数字地震台站场地响应数据库,选取山东区域数字地震台网自2009年4月至2012年1月记录的ML≥2.5地震事件,通过信噪比方法挑选出质量较高的86次地震,采用互相衔接的三段几何衰减模型,基于遗传算法,利用Moya等方法对山东省36个地震台站进行场地响应测算.其中35个台站未显示明显的放大作用,聊城台场地响应变化起伏较大,高频部分放大明显,烟台、招远、即墨、五连、菏泽台场地响应总体表现出一定衰减作用.     

天津滨海软土场地的大震远场作用

利用天津滨海地区丰富的地震地质钻孔资料及测试数据,建立了相应的地震反应模型.选取美国加州1992年Landers地震的远场记录P0841作为基底输入,采用工程上常用的等效线性化方法进行了土层地震反应分析,以期对天津滨海软土场地的大震远场作用得到一些定性的认识．结果显示,天津滨海软土场地对远场大震地震动峰值加速度的放大作用比较显著,但不同场地条件放大作用有明显差异,Ⅳ类场地的放大效应明显减弱.对基岩与地表反应谱比的分析显示, 滨海场地对基岩地震动的不同频率分量的放大作用具有明显的不同,对短周期分量甚至出现了缩减,但当滨海软土场地受到与场地卓越周期相吻合的地震动影响时,可能会产生很可观的放大作用,这对建在其上的高层、超高层建筑可能会构成较大的威胁．      

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.     

Effect of site amplification on inelastic seismic response

The available models for eff ective periods of site and structure are reviewed in context of frequency tuning in the inelastic seismic response of soil-structure system. The eff ect of seismic intensity and ductility demand, on the eff ective periods, is investigated, and inelastic site amplifi cation is shown to be strongly correlated to the normalized eff ective period. Two non-dimensional parameters, analogous to the conventional site amplifi cation factors in codes, are defi ned to quantify the inelastic site amplifi cation. It is shown that the inelastic site amplifi cation factor (i.e. ratio of constant ductility spectral ordinates at soil site to those at rock outcrop) is able to represent the site eff ects more clearly, as compared to the inelastic site amplifi cation ratio (i.e. ratio of inelastic spectral ordinates at soil site to the corresponding elastic spectral ordinates at rock outcrop). Further, the peak in the amplifi cation factor corresponding to the eff ective site period diminishes rapidly with increasing ductility demand.     

北京地区中硬场地地震动效应研究

依据典型工程场地的地震安全性评价报告,研究北京地区中硬场地地震动效应。首先,统计分析了地震安全性评价结果中的场地地震动放大效应。再利用201个工程场地的钻孔资料进行土层地震反应计算,分析不同地震动输入下的场地地震动放大效应。结果表明,北京地区中硬场地地震动放大效应明显,得到的场地地震动峰值加速度转换系数Ka高于《中国地震动参数区划图》（GB18306-2001）中的值,大震水准下更为突出。因此,如在北京地区直接采用《中国地震动参数区划图》（GB18306-2001）中的调整系数,可能会低估北京地区中硬场地的地震动放大效应,降低抗震设防标准。最后指出,场地地震动峰值加速度转换系数明显具有区域性,应根据详细的场地地震动效应研究结果,合理地确定场地地震动转换系数。     

The seismic microzonation of the city of Catania (Italy) for the maximum expected scenario earthquake of January 11, 1693

Safety against earthquake hazards presents two aspects: structural safety against potentially destructive dynamic forces and site safety related to geotechnical phenomena, such as amplification, landsliding and soil liquefaction. The correct evaluation of seismic hazard is, therefore, highly affected by risk factors due to geological nature and geotechnical properties of soils. In response to these new developments, several attempts have been made to identify and appraise geotechnical hazards and to represent them in the form of zoning maps, in which locations or zones with different levels of hazard potential are identified. The geotechnical zonation of the subsoil of the city of Catania (Italy) suggests a high vulnerability of the physical environment added to site amplification of the ground motion phenomena. The ground response analysis at the surface, in terms of time history and response spectra, has been obtained by some 1D equivalent linear models and by a 2D linear model, using a design scenario earthquake as input at the conventional bedrock. In particular, the study has regarded the evaluation of site effects in correspondence of the database of about 1200 boreholes and water-wells available in the data-bank of the Catania area. According to the response spectra obtained through the application of the 1D and 2D models, the city of Catania has been divided into some zones with different peak ground acceleration at the surface, to which corresponds a different value of the Seismic Geotechnical Hazard. A seismic microzoning map of the urban area of the city of Catania has been obtained. The map represents an important tool for the seismic improvement of the buildings, indispensable for the mitigation of the seismic risk.     

Slope topography effects on ground motion in the presence of deep soil layers

An extensive investigation has been made into the interaction between topographic amplification and soil layer amplification of seismic ground motion. This interaction is suggested in the literature as a possible cause for the differences between topographic amplification magnitudes observed in field studies and those obtained from numerical analysis. To investigate this issue a numerical finite element (FE) parametric study was performed for a slope in a homogeneous linear elastic soil layer over rigid bedrock subjected to vertically propagating in-plane shear waves (Sv waves). Analyses were carried out using two types of artificial time history as input excitation, one mimicking the build-up and decay of shaking in the time histories of real earthquake events, and the other to investigate the steady-state response. The study identified topographic effects as seen in previous numerical studies such as modification of the free-field horizontal motion, generation of parasitic vertical motion, zones of alternating amplification and de-amplification on the ground surface, and dependence of topographic amplification on the frequency of the input motion. For the considered cases, topographic amplification and soil layer amplification effects were found to interact, suggesting that in order to accurately predict topographic effects, the two effects should not be always handled separately.