Seismic response interaction between subsurface geology and selected facilities at the University of Mississippi

• Published in: Engineering geology 2001-10, Vol.62 (1-3), p.223-250
• Main Authors: Mullen, Christopher L., Swann, Charles T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0013-7952
• DOI: 10.1016/S0013-7952(01)00063-1

Analyses of the responses of a dormitory building and a highway bridge on the University of Mississippi's main campus to simulated earthquake conditions are presented. Interaction between the facility structural models and subsurface geology models has been computed using the ABAQUS three-dimensional, nonlinear dynamic finite element code. Facility structural modeling has been supported by geological investigations including stratigraphic, boring, and shear-wave velocity measurements performed at a variety of sites on the campus. Seismic potential has been investigated through field studies of faulting in surrounding counties. Acceleration records for shaking the interaction models have been generated using a combination of recorded motions and ground motion models. Three earthquakes have been examined, one with an epicenter at Charleston, Mississippi, and the other two at Marked Tree, Arkansas. Characteristic events of light, moderate, and severe intensities, with nominal moment magnitudes of 5.0, 6.5, and 8.0, respectively, have been simulated, enabling a vulnerability assessment over a range of likely facility response. A contour map of fundamental periods of the subsurface geology has been constructed from surface motions calculated using the WESHAKE 5 program which accounts for propagation through the soil column. Such a map provides a quick guide to the tendency for interaction with facility structures at any site on campus. Eigenvalue and time history analyses of the facility structural/subsurface geology interaction models provide insight into the influence the subsurface geology has on the response behavior and damage that occurs in the facility structures.