CEE 526 – Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering

Development of Ground Motion

Time Histories

University of Washington

Ground Motions
Results of seismic hazard analysis
DSHA
Scenario earthquake
Use attenuation relationships to obtain
Peak acceleration
Spectral accelerations
Duration
Other Either way, a
response spectrum
PSHA is produced
Peak acceleration
Uniform hazard spectrum
Other parameters

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Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

Requirements:

Need to be realistic
Reasonable amplitude
Reasonable frequency content
Reasonable duration
Reasonable correlation between components

Must have the characteristics

of real earthquakes

Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

Approach #1

Find actual recorded ground motion with all of the

characteristics you want.
Matches desired “target” spectrum
Matches desired duration
Consistent source mechanism (source effects)
Consistent with regional and local geology (path effects)
Consistent with local soil conditions (site effects)

Very unlikely!

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Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

Approach #2

Find actual recorded ground motion with some of the

characteristics you want.
Similar magnitude and distance (source effects)
Similar regional and local geology (path effects)
Similar local soil conditions (site effects)

Scale the motion to better match the target spectrum

Constant scaling factor (same for all frequencies)
Variable scaling factor (frequency-dependent)

Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

How do I find recorded ground motions?

Numerous web sites available - thousands of

records to choose from
Good listing available at www.proshake.com
Go to “Links”
Many provide search utilities
Range of magnitude
Range of distance
Style of faulting
Range of amax
etc.

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Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

Scaling
Match peak acceleration?

Sa Sa

T T

Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

Scaling
Match peak acceleration?
Match spectral acceleration at some period?

Sa Sa

T* T T* T

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Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

Scaling
Match peak acceleration?
Match spectral acceleration at some period?
Match spectral acceleration in least-squares sense?

Sa Sa

T T

Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

Multiple motions - select so that mean matches target

Unscaled
Scaled

Sa

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Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

Scaling factors
Use smallest amount of scaling possible
Many motions to choose from
Should keep scaling factor between 2/3 and 3/2

Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

Synthetic ground motions

Fully synthetic
- Time domain generation
- Frequency domain generation
Partially synthetic
- Time domain generation
- Frequency domain generation
Several approaches/codes to choose from
- RASCAL
- SIMQUAKE
- EQGEN
- See NISEE software - reach via
http://peer.berkeley.edu

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Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

RASCAL approach
Frequency domain generation
Fully synthetic or partially synthetic
Works with Fourier amplitude and phase spectra
∞
x ( t ) = c o + ∑ c n sin (ω n t + φ n )
n =1

cn Describes φn
amplitudes
of various
components ωn
Describes arrival times
ωn of various components

Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

Phase spectrum
Structure difficulty to identify
Describes “shape” of motion in time domain
Strongly related to duration

Different shapes

Different phase spectra

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Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

RASCAL approach
Specify target spectrum
Specify source, path parameters
Magnitude
Distance Brune
Stress drop amplitude
Crustal attenuation spectrum
Other

Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

RASCAL approach
Specify phase spectrum motion
Real - select actual recorded motion
Similar magnitude, distance, style of faulting, etc.
Desired duration
Synthetic
Generate white noise (random numbers: -1 to +1)
Multiply by shaping function (envelope function)
RASCAL will extract phase spectrum and combine with
Brune amplitude spectrum to generate time history
RASCAL computes response spectrum for generated
time history

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Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

RASCAL approach
Computed response spectrum compared with target
spectrum
Amplitude spectrum scaled (frequency-by-frequency)
by ratio of target/computed spectral accelerations
Scaled amplitude spectrum combined with original
phase spectrum to compute new time history
New response spectrum computed and compared to
target spectrum
Process is repeated until satisfactory agreement is
obtained
3-4 iterations usually gives good match

Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

RASCAL approach
Result is time history
Consistent with target spectrum
- Desired amplitude
- Desired frequency content
Consistent with phase spectrum motion
- Desired duration

Is the time history realistic???

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Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

Consider UHS for site influenced by multiple sources

Short fault located nearby High frequency
Long fault located farther away Low frequency
Different parts of a UHS may
Sa be controlled by different
UHS
sources

No individual source may be

capable of producing a motion
consistent with the UHS

Ground Motions
Spectrum-compatible ground motions

Consider UHS for site influenced by multiple sources

Short fault located nearby High frequency
Long fault located farther away Low frequency
UHS may contain more energy
Sa than any single earthquake
UHS
could produce

Using UHS-compatible motion

may be inaccurate (can lead to
over-softening and over-
damping in SHAKE analysis)

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Ground Motions
Green’s function analysis

Simulates source, path, and site processes

Fault rupture surface discretized into series of elements
Rupture of individual elements simulated
Rupture process (focus, pattern) can be specified

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