A design spectrum model for flexible soil sites in regions of low-to-moderate seismicity

Design spectrum (DS) models in major codes of practice for structural design of buildings typically stipulate empirical site factors for each of the five, or six, site classes. Although the phenomenon of resonant like amplification behaviour of the structure caused by multiple wave reflections is we...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Soil dynamics and earthquake engineering (1984) 2017-01, Vol.92, p.36-45
Main Authors: Tsang, H.H., Wilson, J.L., Lam, N.T.K., Su, R.K.L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amplification
Behavior
Building codes
Building design
Building foundations
Code
Codes of Practice
Collapse
Computer applications
Design engineering
Design spectrum
Displacement
Earthquakes
Empirical analysis
Frequency domains
Resonance
Risk
Seismic phenomena
Seismicity
Seismology
Site factor
Soil amplification
Soil sciences
Soils
Structural design
Structural engineering
Studies
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Summary:Design spectrum (DS) models in major codes of practice for structural design of buildings typically stipulate empirical site factors for each of the five, or six, site classes. Although the phenomenon of resonant like amplification behaviour of the structure caused by multiple wave reflections is well known, the potentials for such periodic amplification behaviour are not explicitly considered in code models. This is partly because of expert opinion that such effects are very “localised” in the frequency domain and can be suppressed readily by damping. However, investigations into the risk of collapse of non-ductile, and irregular structural systems, common in regions of low-to-moderate seismicity, revealed the extensive influence of periodic base excitations on flexible soil sites (with initial small-strain natural period Ti >0.5s). In this paper, an alternative DS model which addresses the important phenomenon of soil resonance without the need of computational site response analysis of the subsurface model of the site is introduced. •Displacement demand on structure is governed by resonant-like soil-amplification.•Inconsistencies amongst design spectrum models in seismic codes are highlighted.•A new design spectrum model featuring resonant-like soil-amplification is proposed.•The model is for structures which absorb little energy to suppress resonance.•The proposed model is most suited to regions of low-to-moderate seismicity.
ISSN:0267-7261
1879-341X
DOI:10.1016/j.soildyn.2016.09.035