Derivation of design soil coefficients (S) and response spectral shapes for Eurocode 8 using the European Strong-Motion Database

A revision is presently under way to upgrade the status of the `Designrecommendations for earthquake resistance of structures', commonlyreferred to as Eurocode 8 (or EC8). In order to improve the definition ofthe design elastic response spectra (ERS) as defined in the Eurocode 8 –Part 1 (Draft May 2001), the values of the soil amplification factors havebeen calculated for sites on sedimentary soils, both stiff (category B) andsoft (category C), with respect to rock sites (category A), such ascontemplated in EC8. The work was performed by a systematic study ofresponse spectra as a function of magnitude and site conditions, usingrecords from the European Strong-Motion Database.The results confirm the occurrence of systematic spectral amplification onsedimentary soils with respect to reference rock in a large set of Europeanstrong motion data. Such amplification has been quantified through ameasure derived from the Housner Spectrum Intensity definition.The values of the soil coefficients recommended in the current version ofEC 8 are shown to be realistic for category C, in the case of a moderateseismicity context. However the values for subsoil class B need to besignificantly increased both for the moderate and high seismicity context.     

A strong motion network in northern Italy: detection capabilities and first analysis

The necessity of a dense network in Northern Italy started from the lack of available data after the occurrence of the 24th November 2004, Ml 5.2, Salò earthquake. Since 2006, many efforts have been made by the INGV (Italian National Institute for Geophysic and Vulcanology), Department of Milano-Pavia (hereinafter INGV MI-PV), to improve the strong-motion monitoring of the Northern Italy regions. This activity led to the installation of a strong-motion network composed by 20 accelerometers, 4 coupled with 20-bits Lennartz Mars88 recorders, 12 coupled with 24-bits Reftek 130 recorders and 4 coupled with 24-bits Gaia2 recorders. The network allow us to reduce, in the area under study, the average inter-distances between strong-motion stations from about 40 km (at November 2004) to 15 km. At present the network includes nine 6-channels stations where velocity sensors work together the strong-motion ones. The data transmission is assured by modem-gsm, with the exception of four stations that send data in real time through a TCP/IP protocol. In order to evaluate different site responses, the stations have been installed both in free field and near (or inside) public buildings, located in the center of small villages. From June 2006 to December 2008 a dataset of 94 events with local magnitude range from 0.7 to 5.1 has been collected. An ad hoc data-processing system have been created in order to provide, after each recorded event, engineering parameters such as peak ground acceleration (PGA) and velocity (PGV), response spectra (SA and PSV), Arias and Housner intensities. Data dissemination is achieved through the web site , while the waveforms are distributed through the Italian strong motion database ().     

Engineering assessment of seismic hazard and long period ground motions at the Bolu Viaduct Site following the November 1999 earthquake

The M_w 7.1 earthquake of November 12, 1999 severely damageda 2.5 km long viaduct on a stretch under construction of theIstanbul-Ankara motorway, 18 km W of Bolu. The fault rupture crossedthe viaduct with an observed offset close to 1.5 m; the viaduct decksuffered large permanent displacements but did not collapse.Seismic hazard at the site appears to be governed by characteristicearthquakes occurring every few hundred years both on the Düzce faultand on the main stretch of North Anatolian fault (NAF). Smaller activefaults near the site also contribute to the hazard.We investigate how a reliable design response spectrum of displacement canbe constructed for the viaduct site using both probabilistic and deterministictools. After checking the applicability of known attenuation relations againstrecorded data, we illustrate a hazard analysis that incorporates acharacteristic earthquake model for the relevant faults, and accounts forstatistical directivity effects on the Düzce fault. Constant-risk responsespectra up to 3 s are thus obtained for different return periods. Syntheticmotions at the site are generated next, using a known source model, inorder to explore the features of the displacement response spectrum atvibration periods in the range between 1s and 6 s, in which the dominantresponse of the viaduct deck, uncoupled from the piers, occurs. Adiscussion of results follows.     

Editorial

Editorial Board

Editorial     

Toward a ground-motion logic tree for probabilistic seismic hazard assessment in Europe

The Seismic Hazard Harmonization in Europe (SHARE) project, which began in June 2009, aims at establishing new standards for probabilistic seismic hazard assessment in the Euro-Mediterranean region. In this context, a logic tree for ground-motion prediction in Europe has been constructed. Ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) and weights have been determined so that the logic tree captures epistemic uncertainty in ground-motion prediction for six different tectonic regimes in Europe. Here we present the strategy that we adopted to build such a logic tree. This strategy has the particularity of combining two complementary and independent approaches: expert judgment and data testing. A set of six experts was asked to weight pre-selected GMPEs while the ability of these GMPEs to predict available data was evaluated with the method of Scherbaum et al. (Bull Seismol Soc Am 99:3234?C3247, 2009). Results of both approaches were taken into account to commonly select the smallest set of GMPEs to capture the uncertainty in ground-motion prediction in Europe. For stable continental regions, two models, both from eastern North America, have been selected for shields, and three GMPEs from active shallow crustal regions have been added for continental crust. For subduction zones, four models, all non-European, have been chosen. Finally, for active shallow crustal regions, we selected four models, each of them from a different host region but only two of them were kept for long periods. In most cases, a common agreement has been also reached for the weights. In case of divergence, a sensitivity analysis of the weights on the seismic hazard has been conducted, showing that once the GMPEs have been selected, the associated set of weights has a smaller influence on the hazard.