• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.30 no.1C
• /
• pp.65-76
• /
• 2010

Recent earthquake events revealed that severe seismic damages were concentrated mostly at sites composed of soil sediments rather than firm rock. This indicates that the site effects inducing the amplification of earthquake ground motion are associated mainly with the spatial distribution and dynamic properties of the soils overlying bedrock. In this study, an integrated GIS-based information system for geotechnical data was constructed to establish a regional counterplan against ground motions at a representative metropolitan area, Seoul, in Korea. To implement the GIS-based geotechnical information system for the Seoul area, existing geotechnical investigation data were collected in and around the study area and additionally a walkover site survey was carried out to acquire surface geo-knowledge data. For practical application of the geotechnical information system used to estimate the site effects at the area of interest, seismic zoning maps of geotechnical earthquake engineering parameters, such as the depth to bedrock and the site period, were created and presented as regional synthetic strategy for earthquake-induced hazards prediction. In addition, seismic zonation of site classification was also performed to determine the site amplification coefficients for seismic design at any site and administrative sub-unit in the Seoul area. Based on the case study on seismic zonations for Seoul, it was verified that the GIS-based geotechnical information system was very useful for the regional prediction of seismic hazards and also the decision support for seismic hazard mitigation particularly at the metropolitan area.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.201-213
• /
• 2015

Site effects resulting in the amplification of earthquake ground motion are strongly influenced not only by the subsurface soil conditions and structure, but also by the surface topography. Yet, over the last several decades, most studies of site-specific seismic responses in Korea have focused primarily on the seismic amplification associated with geologic and soil conditions. For example, the effects of local geology are now well established and have been incorporated into current Korean seismic design codes, whereas topographic effects have not been considered. To help address this shortcoming, two-dimensional (2D) seismic site response analyses, using finite element (FE) ground modeling with three different slope angles, were performed in order to assess the site effects of surface topography. We then compared our results, specifically peak ground acceleration (PGA) and acceleration response spectrum, to those of one-dimensional (1D) FE model analyses conducted alongside our study. Throughout much of the upper slope region, PGAs and spectral accelerations are larger in the 2D analyses than in the 1D analyses as a result of the topographic effect.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.35-42
• /
• 2012

We propose a probabilistic method to evaluate the uniform hazard spectra (UHS) of the soil of nuclear power plant(NPP) sites corresponding to that of a bedrock site. To do this, amplification factors on the surface of soil sites were estimated through site response analysis while considering the uncertainty in the earthquake ground motion and soil deposit characteristics. The amplification factors were calculated by regression analysis with spectral acceleration because these two factors are mostly correlated. The proposed method was applied to the evaluation of UHS for the KNGR (Korean Next Generation Reactor) and the APR1400 (Advanced Power Reactor 1400) nuclear power plant sites of B1, B4, C1 and C3. The most dominant frequency range with respect to the annual frequency of earthquakes was evaluated from the UHS analysis. It can be expected that the proposed method will improve the results of integrated risk assessments of NPPs rationally. We expect also that the proposed method will be applied to the evaluation of the UHS and of many other kinds of soil sites.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.9 no.4 s.44
• /
• pp.29-42
• /
• 2005

Total 350 borehole profiles were selected from the database of borehole logs in Seoul, for the site-specific seismic evaluation at two 4km${\times}$4km plain areas. Equivalent-linear site response analyses for the selected 350 sites were conducted based on shear wave velocity (Vs) Profiles, which were determined from the N-Vs correlation established using borehole seismic testing results in the inland areas of Korea. Most sites were categorized as site classes C and D based on the mean Vs to 30 m in depth (Vs30) ranging from 250 to 550 m/s. The she periods of the plains in Seoul ranging between 0.1 and 0.4 sec were significantly lower than those of the western US, from which the site coefficients in Korea were derived. For plains in Seoul, the site coefficients, Fa's and Fv's specified in the Korean seismic design guide, underestimate the ground motion in short-period (0.1-0.5 sec) band and overestimate the ground motion in mid-period (0.4-2.0 sec) band, respectively, because ol the differences in the geotechnical conditions between Seoul and the western US, although the Fa's in several sites overestimate the motion due to the base Isolation effect resulted from the soft layer in soil deposit.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.25-35
• /
• 2001

For the ground resrxmse analysis, both in-situ and laboratory testing techniques such as downhole, SASW, resonant column and torsional shear tests were perlormed for Hong-Seong area. The grOlmd upper 30m is classified as SD since it has an average shear wave velocity as 209m/s. The response specLrums obtained by site-specific analyses generally satisfied the seismic code, but near the resonance period the motion was evaluated to be higher than the code.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2011.10a
• /
• pp.71-72
• /
• 2011

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.5-19
• /
• 2009

Most of earthquake-induced geotechnical hazards have been caused by the site effects relating to the amplification of ground motion, which is strongly influenced by the local geologic conditions such as soil thickness or bedrock depth and soil stiffness. In this study, an integrated GIS-based information system for geotechnical data, called geotechnical information system (GTIS), was constructed to establish a regional counterplan against earthquake-induced hazards at an urban area of Daejeon, which is represented as a hub of research and development in Korea. To build the GTIS for the area concerned, pre-existing geotechnical data collections were performed across the extended area including the study area and site visits were additionally carried out to acquire surface geo-knowledge data. For practical application of the GTIS used to estimate the site effects at the area concerned, seismic zoning map of the site period was created and presented as regional synthetic strategy for earthquake-induced hazards prediction. In addition, seismic zonation for site classification according to the spatial distribution of the site period was also performed to determine the site amplification coefficients for seismic design and seismic performance evaluation at any site in the study area. Based on this case study on seismic zonations in Daejeon, it was verified that the GIS-based GTIS was very useful for the regional prediction of seismic hazards and also the decision support for seismic hazard mitigation.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2005.05a
• /
• pp.87-92
• /
• 2005

The ground-motion (GM) attenuation relations available in Korea has required the validation process for large earthquakes since most of them were developed based on small earthquake database, The Fukuoka earthquake (M=7.0) that occurred near the Korean Peninsula provides invaluable data to indirectly evaluate the attenuation characteristics of the strong GM in Korea. The GM levels (PGA, SA) obtained from the KIK-net downhole stations near the epicenter (R<100km) are reasonably predicted by the GM attenuation relation developed by KEPRI in 2003 for the Kori NPP site, the result of which validates the use of KEPRI GM attenuation relation for predicting GM induced by future large earthquakes. Also, the comparison between the Osaki spectra and response spectra of KIK-net downhole data reveals that the amplitude levels of Osaki spectra are higher than the spectra from KIK-net stations which are believed to be installed at the seismic basement.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.109-113
• /
• 2005

The ground-motion (GM) attenuation relations available in Korea has required the validation process for large earthquakes since most of them were developed based on small earthquake database. The Fukuoka earthquake (M=7.0) that occurred near the Korean Peninsula provides invaluable data to indirectly evaluate the attenuation characteristics of the strong GM in Korea. The GM levels (PGA, SA) obtained from the KIK-net downhole stations near the epicenter (R<100km) are reasonably predicted by the GM attenuation relation developed by KEPRI in 2003 for the Kori NPP site, the result of which validates the use of KEPRI GM attenuation relation for predicting GM induced by future large earthquakes. Also, the comparison between the Osaki spectra and response spectra of KIK-net downhole data reveals that the amplitude levels of Osaki spectra are higher than the spectra from KIK-net stations which are believed to be installed at the seismic basement.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.23-30
• /
• 2003

The result of recent seismic hazard analysis indicates that the ground motion response spectra for Korean nuclear power plant site have relatively large frequency acceleration contents. In the ordinary seismic fragility analysis of nuclear power plant structures and equipments, the safety margin of design ground response spectrum is directly used as a response spectrum shape factor. The effects of input response spectrum shape on the floor response spectrum were investigated by performing the direct generation of floor response spectrum from the ground response spectrum. The safety margin included in the design ground response spectrum should be considered as a floor response spectrum shape factor for the seismic fragility analysis of the equipments located in a building.