FUNDAMENTALS of

ENGINEERING SEISMOLOGY

RESPONSE
SPECTRA

Single-Degree-of-Freedom (SDOF) System

u
Natural period
m
m
T  2
k k

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Concept of the Response Spectrum

2
Accelerograms with Identical Values of PGA

1 – Peru
2 – Yugoslavia
3 – Romania
4 - Mexico

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 PSEUDO SPECTRA

If the damping of the system is less than 20% of critical,

the spectra of velocity and acceleration can be estimated
directly from the displacement spectrum, SD:

2
PSV  SD .
T
2
 2  2
PSA  SD .   PSV .
 T  T

Tripartite Response Spectra Plot

4
Normalised Spectral Shapes

5
 Smoothed Spectral Shape

Soil-Dependent Spectral Shapes

6
 (Coburn & Spence, 1992)

Mexico City Earthquake 1985

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 Mexico City 1985

Most severe damage to almost 400 buildings of

between 7 and 18 storeys in height.

(EEFIT,
1986)

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The damage in Mexico City was in
large part due to COINCIDENCE
between the dominant period of the
ground shaking and the natural
period of vibration of these high-rise
structures.
For a Reinforced Concrete structure of N
storeys, the natural period of vibration T
(seconds) can be estimated from:

T = 0.1 (N)

Very strong motions produced at 400 km from the fault

rupture due to the response of soft lacustrine clays

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Mexico City 1585

Mexico City 1585

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Mexico City 1985

Rock and Soft Soil Site Spectra in Mexico City

11
Spectral
shapes in
seismic
codes

12
 UBC-97 Elastic Response Spectrum

UBC-97 Site Classification Scheme

Soil Profile Description Vs (m/s)

SA Hard rock > 1,500

SB Rock 750 - 1,500

SC Soft rock/Very dense soil 360 – 760

SD Stiff soil profile 180 – 360

SE Soft soil profile < 180

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 Soil Seismic Hazard Zone
Profile 1 2A 2B 3 4
SA 0.06 0.12 0.16 0.24 0.32
SB 0.08 0.15 0.20 0.30 0.40
SC 0.09 0.18 0.24 0.33 0.40
SD 0.12 0.22 0.28 0.36 0.44
SE 0.19 0.30 0.34 0.36 0.36

Soil Seismic Hazard Zone

Profile 1 2A 2B 3 4
SA 0.06 0.12 0.16 0.24 0.32
SB 0.08 0.15 0.20 0.30 0.40
SC 0.13 0.25 0.32 0.45 0.56
SD 0.18 0.32 0.40 0.54 0.64
SE 0.26 0.50 0.64 0.84 0.96

Non-linear soil response at Treasure Island (soft soil)

during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and aftershocks

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