| Abstract: | We evaluate the non-linear behaviour of soil sediments, analysing five weak and four strong motions observed at depths of 1 m and 28 m, in eastern Shizuoka prefecture, Japan. We identify S-wave velocities and frequency-dependent damping factors by minimizing the residual between observed and theoretical spectral ratios, based on a linear one-dimensional model. We find that S-wave velocities identified from strong motions, whose peak ground acceleration are 440, 210, 176, and 140 cm/s2, are significantly smaller than those identified from weak motions. The shear modulus reduction ratios estimated from identified S-wave velocities become clear above an effective shear strain of 10-4 and agree with laboratory test results below an effective shear strain of 8×10-4. The differences of damping factors between weak and strong motions are not clear below this effective shear strain, as the laboratory test suggested. The equivalent linear one-dimensional model, with frequency-dependent damping factors, is confirmed to be valid to simulate strong motions at least an effective shear strain of less than 4×10-4. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
