Evaluating the structural model from ambient vibration recordings and shallow seismic refraction techniques. A case study of Zagazig City,Egypt

This study uses the seismic refraction and noise measurements to investigate the velocity structure of the subsurface and emphasize the advantage of ambient vibration over the conventional seismic refraction technique. Field measurements were carried out at nine sites in and around Zagazig city. Shallow seismic refraction data were interpreted using the delay time method to obtain the two-dimension ground model at each site. Ambient vibration arrays are used to infer the one-dimensional compressional and shear wave velocity profiles through two main steps. The first step is to derive the dispersion curve from the recorded signals using the frequency-wavenumber method. The second is to invert the dispersion curve to obtain the site velocity profiles. The results of the compressional wave velocities obtained from seismic refraction technique showed that the subsurface consists of a number of layers ranging from two to four layers and give a good agreement with the results of the seismic wave velocities obtained from the ambient vibration arrays. The ambient vibration arrays gave a deeper depth of penetration than the other method, providing more information on the subsurface structure without any disturbance to the environment. This work provides reliable estimates of the seismic velocity structures of both shallow and deep sedimentary layers within the area of interest.     

Mapping sediment thickness of Islamabad city using empirical relationships: Implications for seismic hazard assessment

Soft sediments make an important component of the subsurface lithology, especially in areas underlain by river/stream basins. Occupying a position directly above the bedrock up to the land surface, these soft sediments can range in thickness from few centimeters to hundreds of meters. They carry a special nuisance in seismic hazards, as they serve as a source of seismic amplification that may enhance the seismic shaking of many folds. Determination of the thickness of the soft sediments is therefore crucial in seismic hazard analysis. A number of studies in recent years have demonstrated that frequency and amplitude spectrum obtained from the noise measurements during the recording of natural seismicity can be used to obtain thickness of soft sediments covering the bedrock. Nakamura (1989) presented a technique to determine such spectrum using ratio of horizontal to vertical components of the Rayleigh waves. The present study is based on an extensive set of microtremor measurements carried out in the Islamabad city, Pakistan. Fundamental frequencies were obtained from weak motion sensors and Tromino Engy Plus instruments to show that the correlation is clearly valid for a wide range of sediment thickness. A simple formula was derived for the investigated area to determine directly the thickness of sediments from the main peaks in the H/V spectrum for seismometer and Tromino data separately. A comparison is made between sediment thicknesses derived from empirical relations developed in this study with those given in literature to demonstrate a positive correlation. The correlation of instrumental resonant frequencies with calculated resonant frequencies (theoretical) suggests that the relation derived from the noise measurements mostly depends on the velocity depth function of the shear wave. The fundamental frequency of the main peak of spectral ratio of H/V using the both instruments correlates well with the thickness of sediments at the site obtained from the borehole data. It is found out that there is a wide variation in soft-sediment thickness in the Islamabad area, but as a general rule, soft sediments are thicker adjacent to stream courses compared to the areas intervening the streams. The distribution of sediments in the studied area is illustrated by means of cross sections constructed from results of the microtremor analyses and available borehole data, which provides a visual distribution of the soft sediments underlying the Islamabad city.     

Modeling and assessment of bridge structure for seismic hazard prevention

This study uses data from Mao-Luo-Hsi Bridge to model the bridge structure and a set of developed alarm and action values to formulate guidelines for bridge maintenance and seismic hazard prevention. The bridge model is improved by incorporating on-site ambient vibration measurement to perform modal analyses. Dynamic analyses of the bridge are implemented using the established 3D model subjected to uniform loading and seismic force, with or without consideration of soil interaction with the structure. The maximum displacements for different sections of the bridge are compared, and statistical regression analyses are used to explore their correlation. Information for bridge safety assessment is proposed, which can mitigate loss of property and lives due to bridge failure. Regression analyses of the maximum displacements between abutments D and E of the considered bridge in the axial, horizontal, and vertical directions under various seismic intensities are conducted, giving R ² values of 0.9462, 0.9352, and 0.9010, respectively. The developed maintenance guidelines are reliable since all parameters from regression analyses have a 95% confidence interval excluding the zero value. The bridge alarm value and action value are determined for this bridge site at earthquake intensity scales of 4 and 5, respectively.     

The El Achour (Algiers,Algeria) landslide delimitation using the H/V ambient vibration method

We present in this work investigations using seismic ambient vibration to delimitate the El Achour landslide (Algiers), upon which independent geotechnical studies were carried out. Acquisition campaign of ambient vibration on the El Achour site on June 2009 and June 2015, over a surface of about 2 ha, consisted of 64 records of ambient noise with a 10 to 20 m grid size. This approach consists of simple, light, and fast H/V acquisitions, in order to determine the extension of the unstable zone, the depth of the sliding surface, and to test the effectiveness of this method. Two peaks were interpreted as one being for the sliding surface and the other for the lithological interface. As results, in the stable area, they are satisfactory. Indeed, the points in this area are not intermediate peaks which could be related to potential sliding surfaces, which led us to think that we could delineate, using this method, the unstable area from the stable area. The HVSR method allows to determine the thickness of the geological formations and to highlight the lateral and vertical facies changes in broad area.     

Probabilistic evaluation of seismic soil liquefaction potential based on SPT data

The performance-based liquefaction potential analysis was carried out in the present study to estimate the liquefaction return period for Bangalore, India, through a probabilistic approach. In this approach, the entire range of peak ground acceleration (PGA) and earthquake magnitudes was used in the evaluation of liquefaction return period. The seismic hazard analysis for the study area was done using probabilistic approach to evaluate the peak horizontal acceleration at bed rock level. Based on the results of the multichannel analysis of surface wave, it was found that the study area belonged to site class D. The PGA values for the study area were evaluated for site class D by considering the local site effects. The soil resistance for the study area was characterized using the standard penetration test (SPT) values obtained from 450 boreholes. These SPT data along with the PGA values obtained from the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis were used to evaluate the liquefaction return period for the study area. The contour plot showing the spatial variation of factor of safety against liquefaction and the corrected SPT values required for preventing liquefaction for a return period of 475 years at depths of 3 and 6 m are presented in this paper. The entire process of liquefaction potential evaluation, starting from collection of earthquake data, identifying the seismic sources, evaluation of seismic hazard and the assessment of liquefaction return period were carried out, and the entire analysis was done based on the probabilistic approach.     

High-resolution seismic survey on the Rhine River in the northern Upper Rhine Graben

In the northern part of the Upper Rhine Graben (URG), a high-resolution seismic reflection survey was carried out on the Rhine River over a length of 80 km, and on its tributary Neckar over a length of 25 km. The seismic investigation provides new results to redefine the base of Quaternary fluvial sediments from Oppenheim upstream to the south of Mannheim. The standard Quaternary thickness map of Bartz (1974) was partially revised and completed. Maximum Pleistocene sediment thickness is documented in the area of Mannheim with approximately 225 m. The top of the Pliocene in this area is sub-horizontal and not faulted, and rises downstream continuously towards the fault block of Worms. Intercalated lacustrine pelitic layers play a main role in defining the litho-stratigraphy in this part of the URG. In the north of Worms, Pleistocene sediments are mainly coarse-grained. In the area of Worms, a Pleistocene tectonic phase along N–S striking normal faults with variable displacement along the strike is obvious.     

Dynamic characterisation and seismic assessment of medieval masonry towers

The paper investigates the dynamic characterisation, the numerical model tuning and the seismic risk assessment of two monumental masonry towers located in Italy: the Capua Cathedral bell tower and the Aversa Cathedral bell tower. Full-scale ambient vibration tests under environmental loads are performed. The modal identification is carried out using techniques of modal extraction in the frequency domain. The refined 3D finite element model (FEM) is calibrated using the in situ investigation survey. The FEM tuning is carried out by varying the mechanical parameters and accounting for the restraint offered by the neighbouring buildings and the role of soil–structure interaction. The assessment of the seismic performance of the bell towers is carried out through a nonlinear static procedure based on the multi-modal pushover analysis and the capacity spectrum method. Through the discussion of the case studies, the paper shows that the modal identification is a reliable technique that can be used in situ for assessing the dynamic behaviour of monumental buildings. By utilising the tuned FEM of the towers, the theoretical fundamental frequencies are determined, which coincide with the previously determined experimental frequencies. The results from seismic performance assessment through a pushover analysis confirm that the masonry towers in this study are particularly vulnerable to strong damage even when subjected to seismic events of moderate intensity.     

Dynamic characterisation and seismic assessment of medieval masonry towers

The paper investigates the dynamic characterisation, the numerical model tuning and the seismic risk assessment of two monumental masonry towers located in Italy: the Capua Cathedral bell tower and the Aversa Cathedral bell tower. Full-scale ambient vibration tests under environmental loads are performed. The modal identification is carried out using techniques of modal extraction in the frequency domain. The refined 3D finite element model (FEM) is calibrated using the in situ investigation survey. The FEM tuning is carried out by varying the mechanical parameters and accounting for the restraint offered by the neighbouring buildings and the role of soil–structure interaction. The assessment of the seismic performance of the bell towers is carried out through a nonlinear static procedure based on the multi-modal pushover analysis and the capacity spectrum method. Through the discussion of the case studies, the paper shows that the modal identification is a reliable technique that can be used in situ for assessing the dynamic behaviour of monumental buildings. By utilising the tuned FEM of the towers, the theoretical fundamental frequencies are determined, which coincide with the previously determined experimental frequencies. The results from seismic performance assessment through a pushover analysis confirm that the masonry towers in this study are particularly vulnerable to strong damage even when subjected to seismic events of moderate intensity.

     

场地类别分类方案研究

基于性能的抗震设计,要求工程师设计出具有预期抗震性能的结构,一个关键因素是地震作用的确定,这在很大程度上取决于局部场地条件。通过收集和分析北京、苏州和唐山城区956个钻孔资料,建立地表20 m和30 m深土层走时平均剪切波速VS20和VS30的关系式;现场钻探获取北京城区深105 m的典型钻孔原状土样,试验给出各类土体动剪切模量和阻尼比曲线;建立北京城区170个钻孔的场地反应计算模型,采用Nakamura提出的HVSR法和陈国兴等提出的弱震法估算场地基本周期TS值,结合国内外现行抗震规范的场地分类及一些学者对场地分类的研究成果,提出两种新的场地分类建议方案：基于等效剪切波速VSE和覆盖土层厚度H（地表至剪切波速VS ≥ 500 m/s的基岩深度）的双指标场地分类方案及基于VSE、H和TS的三指标场地分类方案。提出的场地分类方案对我国现行抗震规范场地分类方法的改进有参考价值。     

Multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) for seismic site characterization using 2D genetic algorithm at Bahrah area,Wadi Fatima,Saudi Arabia

The present study deals with the seismic site classification of Bahrah area, Wadi Fatima, to characterize the local site conditions. The dynamic behavior of sediments was studied by the application of surface wave inversion. The multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) shallow geophysical technique was utilized for site classification. MASW survey was carried out at 66 sites along with 13 seismic refraction profiles at suitable localities. MASW and seismic refraction profiles were processed and compared with the available borehole data. The integration of MASW techniques with seismic refraction and borehole data progressively enhanced the subsurface visualization and reliability of the shear wave velocity estimation in the subsurface in the study area. The subsurface shear-wave velocity model was achieved by the solution of an inverse problem-based dispersion of surface waves and propagation in a vertically heterogeneous medium. The 2D genetic algorithm was employed for the inversion of dispersion curves to obtain velocity and thickness of subsurface layers. The depth to engineering bedrock and velocity of shear waves in the first 30 m was deciphered and mapped. The depth of bedrock in study area varies from 4 to 30 m, and V _{S 30} ranges from 320 to 800 m/s. The most of study area falls in B and C class categories in addition to few sites of D class according to the NEHRP guidelines.     

A reinterpretation of seismic data in the Laura Basin,Queensland

The results of the seismic surveys recorded during 1963 and 1968 for Marathon Petroleum and Crusader Oil in the Laura Basin, north Queensland, have been reinterpreted. Seismic reflections which dip almost continuously from 0.6 to 4.0 seconds reflection time may come from the base of and within an 8000 m sequence of Permo‐Carboniferous sediments, which may underlie the flat‐lying Mesozoic Laura Basin sediments and overlie the heavily folded Carboniferous‐Devonian sediments in the Hodgkinson Basin. Further seismic investigation of this area is recommended since a thick Permo‐Carboniferous sedimentary section here could be prospective for hydrocarbons.     

Investigation of the weathering layer using seismic refraction and high-resolution seismic reflection methods, NE of Riyadh city

Five seismic refraction and five high-resolution seismic reflection (HRSR) profiles were carried out in northeastern part of Riyadh city to investigate depth of the weathering layer. Results obtained from seismic refraction survey reveal the depths of weathering layer at 12, 25, 17, 12, and 16?m, respectively. On the other hand, HRSR stack sections illustrate the depths of weathering layer at 14, 28, 20, 13, and 18?m, respectively. The weathering layer is composed of alluvial sediments and gravel, which is underlain by a sequence of limestone and dolomite layer. Seismic results from site no. 2 have been found to be in good agreement with lithological information reported from the adjacent water well. The HRSR data generally reveal better signal-to-noise ratio and enhanced resolution compared to the refraction data. Although, the HRSR data failed in achieving high-quality common midpoint (CMP) stacking profile at site no. 3, it provide an improved image of the subsurface features than the refraction data, recognizing it as a potential seismic technique.     

A study of the seismic response of the city of Benevento (Southern Italy) through a combined analysis of seismological and geological data

A previous analysis [Improta, L., G. Di Giulio, and A. Rovelli (2005). Variations of local seismic response in Benevento (Southern Italy) using earthquakes and ambient noise recordings, J. Seism. 9, 191–210.] of small magnitude earthquakes recorded at 12 sites within the city of Benevento has stressed the significant role played by near-surface geology in causing variability of the ground motion. In this paper, we extend the study of the seismic response from 12 sites to the entire urban area. Based on inferences from the comparison at the 12 sites between earthquake and ambient vibration results, we have collected ambient noise at about 100 sites within the city, intensifying measurements across the main shallow geological variations. We use borehole data to interpret ambient noise H/V spectral ratios in terms of near-surface geology comparing H/V curves to theoretical transfer functions of 1D models along five well-constrained profiles.

On the basis of geological, geotechnical, and seismic data, we identify three main typologies of seismic response in the city. Each type of response is associated to zones sharing common soil conditions and similar soil classes according to building codes for seismic design. Moreover, we find that the spatial variation of the seismic response in the ancient town area is consistent with the damage pattern produced by a very destructive, well-documented historical earthquake that struck the city in 1688, causing MCS intensity of IX–X in Benevento.

Finally, we use ground motions recorded during the experiment by Improta et al. [Improta, L., G. Di Giulio, and A. Rovelli (2005). Variations of local seismic response in Benevento (Southern Italy) using earthquakes and ambient noise recordings, J. Seism. 9, 191–210.] to generate synthetic seismograms of moderate to strong (Mw 5.7, Molise 2002 and Ms 6.9, 1980 Irpinia) earthquakes. We calibrate the random summation technique by Ordaz et al. [Ordaz, M., J. Arboleda, and S.K. Singh (1995). A scheme of random summation of an Empirical Green's Function to estimate ground motions for future large earthquakes, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 85, 1635–1647.] using recordings of these earthquakes available in Benevento. After a satisfactory fit between observed and synthetic seismograms, we compute response spectra at different sites and speculate on effects of the geology class at large level of shaking, including soil nonlinearity. We find that large discrepancies from design spectra prescribed by seismic codes can occur for a wide sector of Benevento, especially for periods < 0.5 s.     

山东埕岛东部东营组三角洲砂体地震预测技术

山东埕岛地区东营组是胜利油田近年来的一个勘探热点地区,资源潜力巨大。其主要发育河流和三角洲沉积体系,但砂体地震反射特征复杂,横向变化快,储层识别描述难度较大。通过建立全区高分辨率层序地层格架,在等时层序格架的基础上,开展储层描述。湖相沉积与三角洲相沉积在沉积物特征和地震响应上都具有较大差异,通过对已钻井的岩心、测井和录井等资料的分析,结合地震属性和地震相等宏观描述方法,在湖相沉积的背景之下刻画出三角洲的整体展布形态。在此基础上,针对三角洲主体区地震反射较弱、砂泥岩速度差异较小的特点,利用地震波形识别技术,采用6种参数对波形进行描述,得出12种波形分类,分别对应4种主要沉积微相。最终利用神经网络方法在平面上进行沉积微相的识别和刻画,取得了较好的效果。     

Assessment of potential seismic hazard and site effect in Antakya (Hatay Province), SE Turkey

Antakya city is at risk because of strong earthquakes occurring in the area, and different soil conditions that can produce variation of the ground motion amplification. Microzonation of cities provides a basis for site-specific hazard analysis in urban settlements. In particular, seismic microzonation can be provided by means of detailed seismic assessment of the area, including earthquake recordings and geological studies. In this paper, we propose a preliminary microzonation map for the city of Antakya, based on the variation of the dominant periods and shear velocities of the sediments covering the area. The periods are retrieved from microtremor measurements conducted at 69 sites, using the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio technique. The results of microtremor analysis were compared with data obtained from refraction microtremor (ReMi) measurements at four profiles crossing the studied area. According to the classification of dominant periods, Antakya city can be divided into five zones, probably prone to different levels of seismic hazard. The shorter natural periods are in inner Antakya and both the sides of Asi River (i.e., northern and southern parts). The eastern and western parts of Antakya have maximum dominant periods. The V _s ³⁰ values were calculated by using the ReMi method along the profiles. Antakya city has V _s ³⁰ values in the range of category C of the national earthquake hazard reduction programme site classification.     

可控震源在地震勘探激发条件复杂地区的应用

甘肃张掖平山湖矿区浅表层地震勘探地质条件复杂。利用可控震源激发,从能量、信噪比、频率等方面对试验资料进行定量分析,确定适合该区可控震源施工参数:震动台次、扫描长度、扫描频率、震源出力;针对可控震源地震资料特征,着重研究弱化初至前干扰、采取提高初至波信噪比等方法,使得单炮初至更加容易识别;同时,采用反褶积增宽频带,从而提高地震剖面分辨率,取得了较好的地质效果。      

Application of high-resolution seismic techniques in the evaluation of earthquake site response, Ottawa Valley, Canada

High-resolution seismic surveys, including P- and S-wave studies, have been conducted in an area of the Ottawa River valley located 80 km east of Ottawa (Canada). Based on dating of paleolandslides, the existence of paleoearthquake activity has been postulated in this area. The target zone for the seismic survey is characterized by surface disturbance and sediment deformation. P-wave seismic imaging was used to map the overburden–bedrock interface as well as to indicate reflecting boundaries within the overburden. The area of surface disturbance was found to overlie a buried bedrock basin, 8 km in diameter, infilled with a maximum thickness of 180 m of unconsolidated Quaternary sediments. Preliminary results of core logging show the presence of sand overlain by deformed fine sediments within the disturbed area. Shear-refraction studies reveal differences in the velocity–depth profiles between the disturbed area and the surrounding undisturbed areas. The shear-wave reflection method was used to produce a fundamental resonant period map for the area. Surface sediment disturbance was probably due to a combination of ground-motion amplification due to the basin (thick soft sediments) and the presence of water-saturated sand at depth.     

Local seismic hazard assessment in areas of weak to moderate seismicity—case study from Eastern Germany

Generally the seismic hazard of an area of interest is considered independent of time. However, its seismic risk or vulnerability, respectively, increases with the population and developing state of economy of the area. Therefore, many areas of moderate seismic hazard gain increasing importance with respect to seismic hazard and risk analysis. However, these areas mostly have a weak earthquake database, i.e., they are characterised by relative low seismicity and uncertain information concerning historical earthquakes. In a case study for Eastern Thuringia (Germany), acting as example for similar places in the world, seismic hazard is estimated using the probabilistic approach. Because of the lack of earthquakes occurring in the recent past, mainly historical earthquakes have to be used. But for these the actual earthquake sources or active faults, needed for the analysis, are imprecisely known. Therefore, the earthquake locations are represented by areal sources, a common practice. The definition of these sources is performed carefully, because their geometrical shape and size (apart from the earthquake occurrence model) influence the results significantly. Using analysis tools such as density maps of earthquake epicentres, seismic strain and energy release support this. Oversizing of areal sources leads to underestimation of seismic hazard and should therefore be avoided. Large location errors of historical earthquakes on the other hand are represented by several alternative areal sources with final superimposition of the different results. In a very similar way information known from macroseismic observations interpreted as source rather than as site effects are taken into account in order to achieve a seismic hazard assessment as realistic as possible. In very local cases the meaning of source effects exceeds those of site effects very likely. The influence of attenuation parameter variations on the result of estimated local seismic hazard is relatively low. Generally, the results obtained by the seismic hazard assessment coincide well with macroseismic observations from the thoroughly investigated largest earthquake in the region.     

竖向地震动对斜坡场地非线性地震反应的影响

国内外规范中推荐或强制规定竖向地震动取为剪切反应谱的1/2～2/3,但该规定如何改进使其更合理已成为一重要课题。首先,对其研究现状简单总结,给出了可处理辐射阻尼、地震动相位特性、计算高效的二维波动显式有限元等效线性化程序ELPSV编制的必要性,然后进行了分析。初步研究表明,竖向地震动强度对周期在0.3 s以下的地表剪切反应谱有一定的影响,而高于0.3 s部分影响轻微。竖向地震动强度对斜坡场地的竖向地震反应及地表竖向反应谱影响显著,按规范的取值将偏于不安全。受地形条件影响,坡顶剪切地震反应会比坡脚反应要大,而竖向地震反应并不明显。土层边界面的地震反应要比周围反应要低,交界面效应明显。软斜坡场地地震反应特性除场地竖向地震反应自下而上先增加后减小的规律外,其他情形与硬斜坡场地的规律基本一致。该结果定量反映了竖向地震动的影响程度,为斜坡场地上考虑竖向地震动的建（构）筑结构的抗震设计提供了有益的基础。     

九寨沟诺日朗瀑布钙华震损机制分析

2017年8月8日九寨沟发生7.0级地震,景区内部分景观破损,其中诺日朗瀑布钙华体局部出现小规模坍塌。通过调查研究,查明了瀑布景观钙华的震损现状,结合二维离散元分析软件Universal Distinct Element Code (UDEC)对变形破坏过程进行了模拟分析,揭示了钙华震损过程分为振动蠕变、持续拉张、倾倒折断和溃屈破坏4个阶段。综合地质环境背景分析,景观钙华形成的地质环境条件和景区水流系统处于基本稳定状态,景观体处于相对稳定的发展阶段,层湖叠瀑景观不会消亡。