Stochastic Seismic Response of Multi-layered Soil with Random Layer Heights

The effect of layer height randomness on the seismic response of a layered soil are presented in this paper and these parameters are assumed to be lognormal random variables. The analysis is carried out via Monte Carlo simulations coupled with the stiffness matrix method. A parametric study is conducted to determine the stochastic behavior of the peak ground acceleration and its response spectrum, the transfer function, and the amplification factors. The input soil characteristics correspond to a site in Mexico City and the input seismic accelerations correspond to the Loma Prieta earthquake. The paper finds that the layer height heterogeneity causes a widening of the frequency content and a slight increase in the fundamental frequency of the soil profile, indicating that the resonance phenomenon is a concern for a large number of structures. The paper describes how variation of the layer height randomness acts as a variation of the incident angle, i.e., a decrease of the amplitude and a shift of the resonant frequencies.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.springerlink.com/content/x260091174782087/
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/16713664
• Authors:
  • Badaoui, M
  • Berrah, M K
  • Mebarki, A
• Publication Date: 2010-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 213-221
• Serial:
  • Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Vibration
  • Volume: 9
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Springer
  • ISSN: 1671-3664
  • EISSN: 1993-503X
  • Serial URL: http://link.springer.com/journal/11803

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Earthquake resistant design; Geotechnical engineering; Layered soils; Seismicity; Soil mechanics; Stochastic processes
• Identifier Terms: Loma Prieta Earthquake, October 17, 1989
• Uncontrolled Terms: Random soils; Seismic accelerations
• Geographic Terms: Mexico City (Mexico)
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01340026
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 18 2011 10:51AM