Discussion 2 on "Introspection on improper seismic retrofit of Basilica Santa Maria di Collemaggio after 2009 Italian earthquake" by G.P.Cimellaro,A.M.Reinhorn and A.De Stefano

This discussion will address two aspects found in the paper:lack of proper information and some mistakes. Lack of proper information In Section 2 of the paper,a short review of the seismic events suffered by the Basilica and of the interventions of reconstruction which have followcd is presented,but the main effects of these events are not sufficiently highlightcd.In what follows,additional information is provided to allow a better understanding of the most recent retrofit intervention and of the seismic behavior of the Basilica in 2009.     

Closure to “performance of a transparent Flexible Shear Beam container for geotechnical centrifuge modelling of dynamic problems” by Ghayoomi M., Dashti S., and McCartney J.S.

In response to the discussion, this closure presents a new set of analyses to confirm the satisfactory performance of the recently-developed transparent Flexible Shear Beam (FSB) container and its limitations. The lateral deformations of the box estimated using Finite Element analyses and measured during centrifuge experiments were compared. The maximum deformation to height ratio was sufficiently small to retain at-rest lateral earth pressures for loose to medium-dense cohesionless soils and all cohesive materials. In addition, higher frequency modes of vibration were estimated for the container, and were found to occur where the earthquake energy is less significant. Further, the box is expected to approximately replicate free field conditions under 1-D horizontal shaking for the range of soil properties under investigation. Overall, the deformation and vibration analyses indicate that the selection of appropriate rubber material properties and boundary conditions are critical when analyzing the performance of the container.     

Earthquake Induced Site Effect in the Algiers–Boumerdes Region: Relation Between Spectral Ratios Higher Peaks and Observed Damage During the May 21st M w 6.8 Boumerdes Earthquake (Algeria)

The Algiers–Boumerdes regions were hit by an M _w 6.8 destructive earthquake on May 21, 2003. The accelerometric and seismometric networks successfully recorded the main shock and many aftershocks at some locations where the damage was most extensive. A microtremor measurement was performed in the same locations; some of them are localized on the Mitidja basin. In this paper, we propose to analyze earthquake-induced site effect derived from horizontal to vertical spectral ratio from ambient noise (noise horizontal to vertical—NHV), or from very weak, weak, moderate and strong ( peak ground acceleration—PGA >10 % g) seismic motions (EHV), and transfer function evaluation from soil velocity profile data at four sites. H/V spectral ratios are computed by using both Fourier and response spectra. Compared to the transfer function, the obtained results show that in the case of soft soils, NHV as well as EHV give a good estimation of the soil's fundamental frequency, whereas the NHV underestimate the H/V amplitude and the EHV amplitude increase with the seismic motion intensity. In the case of firm soils, whereas the NHV gives flat curves synonymous for a rock site or a bump, the EHV is more appropriate as seen by identifying clear peaks with non negligible amplitude. In the case of soft sites as well as in the case of firm sites, strong peaks at frequencies higher than the fundamental one are found from EHV curves. Those peaks would not be found when looking at NHV ratios alone, are evidenced by the computed transfer function as well as by an analytical formulation, and are in agreement with the observed distribution of damage during the M _w 6.8 2003 Boumerdes earthquake. Finally, the same analysis is performed by using response spectra rather than Fourier spectra and leads to the same conclusions. Moreover, the calculation of the response spectra is more easily compared with the smoothing operation of the Fourier spectra.