• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.183-195
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• 2022

Under the effects of the near-field earthquakes, the incident angle of the incoming wave could be different. In this study, the influences of some parameters such as incident angle, basin edge, peak ground acceleration level of the bedrock motion as well as different clay types with different consistency on the amplification behavior of the shallow basins are investigated. To attain this goal, the numerical analyses of the basins filled with three different clay types are performed using a fully nonlinear method. The two dimensional models of the basins are subjected to a set of strong ground motions with different peak ground acceleration levels and three different incident angles of 30◦, 45◦ and 90◦ with respect to the horizontal axes. The results show the dominant effect of the obliquely subjected waves at most cases. The higher effect of the 45◦ incident angle on the basin response was concluded. In the other part of this study, the spectral amplification curves of the surface points were compared. It was seen that the maximum spectral amplification of different surface points occurs at different periods. Also, it is affected by the increase in the peak acceleration level of the incoming motions.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.5-12
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• 2020

Vibration propagated from seismic sources has damping according to distance and amplification and reduction characteristic in different regions according to topography and geological structure. The vibration propagated from the seismic source to the bedrock is largely affected by the damping according to the separation distance, which can be simply estimated through the damping equation. However, it is important to grasp geological information by location because vibration estimation transmitted to the surface are affected by the natural period of the soil located above the bedrock. Geotechnical investigation data are needed to estimate the seismic intensity based on geological information. If there is no Vs profile, the standard penetration tests are mainly used to determine the soil parameters. The Integrated DB Center of National Geotechnical Information manages the geotechnical survey data performed on the domestic ground, and there is the standard penetration test information of 400,000 holes. In this study, the possibility of quantitation the amplification coefficient for each region was examined to calculated the physical interactive seismic intensity based on geotechnical information. At this time, the shear wave column diagram was generated from the SPT-N value and ground response analysis was performed in the target area. The site coefficients for each zone and the seismic intensity distribution for the seismic motion present a significant difference according to the analysis method and the regional setting.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.79-87
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• 2017

Seismic analysis of local site conditions is fundamental for a reliable site seismic hazard assessment. It plays a major role in mitigation of seismic damage potential through the prediction of surface ground motion in terms of amplitude, frequency content and duration. Such analysis requires the determination of the transfer function, which is a simple tool for characterizing a soil profile by estimating its vibration frequencies and its amplification potential. In this study, numerical simulations are carried out and are then combined with a statistical study to allow the characterization of design sites classified by the Algerian Building Seismic Code (RPA99, ver 2003), by average transfer functions. The mean transfer functions are thereafter used to compute RPA99 average site factors. In this regard, coming up seismic fields are simulated based on Power Spectral Density Functions (PSDF) defined at the rock basement. Results are also used to compute average site factor where, actual and synthetic time histories are introduced. In absence of measurement data, it is found that the proposed approach can be used for a better soil characterization.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.327-336
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• 2006

Site coefficients in IBC and KBC codes have some limits to predict the rational seismic responses of a structure, because they consider only the effect of the soil amplification without the effects of the structure-soil interaction. In this study, upper and lower limits of site coefficients are estimated through the pseudo 3-D elastic seismic response analyses of structures built on linear or nonlinear soil layers considering the structure-soil interaction effects. Soil characteristics of site classes of A, B, and C were assumed to be linear, and those of site classes of D and E were done to be nonlinear and the Ramberg-Osgood model was used to evaluate shear modulus and damping ratio of a soil layer depending on the shear wave velocity of a soil layer. Seismic analyses were performed with 12 weak or moderate earthquake records, scaled the peak acceleration to 0.1g or 0.2g and deconvoluted as earthquake records at the bedrock 30m beneath the outcrop. With the study results of the elastic seismic response analyses of structures, new standard response spectrum and upper and lower limits of the site coefficients of Fa and Fv at the short period range and the period of 1 second are suggested Including the structure-soil interaction effects.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.35-42
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• 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
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.89-95
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• 2008

Until recently lots of time-history seismic analyses were performed with the earthquake motions recorded at the soft soil surface without taking into account the effects of the soft soil amplification. However, it is important to utilize the bedrock seismic motions for the rational seismic analyses of a structure considering the site soil conditions. In this study, 26 bedrock earthquake records were selected from publicly available 1557 seismic records provided by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) for the study, and the characteristics of them were investigated. Study results showed that it is not reasonable to estimate earthquake acceleration intensity from the magnitude of an earthquake without considering the site soil conditions and it is also hard to draw any general relationships between earthquake acceleration intensity, earthquake magnitude and epicenter distance with bedrock earthquake records in the PEER database. However, 26 bedrock earthquake records selected in this study can be utilized for the time-history seismic analyses of a structure-soil system as bedrock earthquake ones, and it is also confirmed that it is necessary to take into account acceleration intensity, magnitude, epicenter distance and site conditions simultaneously for the proper use of those selected earthquake records.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.223-232
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• 2021

The spatial variation characteristics of seismic motions at the nuclear power plant's site and structures were analyzed using earthquake records obtained at the Fukushima nuclear power plant during the Great East Japan Earthquake. The ground responses amplified as they approached the soil surface from the lower rock surface, and the amplification occurred intensively at about 50 m near the ground. Due to the soil layer's nonlinear characteristics caused by the strong seismic motion, the ground's natural frequency derived from the response spectrum ratio appeared to be smaller than that calculated from the shear wave velocity profile. The spatial variation of the peak ground acceleration at the ground surface of the power plant site showed a significant difference of about 0.6 g at the maximum. As a result of comparing the response spectrums at the basement of the structure with the design response spectrum, there was a large variability by each power plant unit. The difference was more significant in the Fukushima Daiichi site record, which showed larger peak ground acceleration at the surface. The earthquake motions input to the basement of the structure amplified according to the structure's height. The natural frequency obtained from the recorded results was lower than that indicated in the previous research. Also, the floor response spectrum change according to the location at the same height was investigated. The vertical response on the foundation surface showed a significant difference in spectral acceleration depending on the location. The amplified response in the structure showed a different variability depending on the type of structure and the target frequency.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.130-140
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• 2000

The earthquake hazard has been evaluated for 10km by 10km area around Kyeongju which is located near Yangsan fault and has abundant historical earthquake records. The ground motion potentials were determined based on equivalent linear analysis by using the data obtained from in situ and laboratory tests and the El centro eartqhuake record scaled to CLE and OLE of the region. The in situ tests include 9 boring investigations 2 crosshole 7 downhole 13 SASW tests and in the laboratory X-ray diffraction analyses and resonant column tests were performed. The peak ground accelerations range between 0.140g and 0.286g on CLE and between 0.051g and 0.116g on OLE respectively showing the good potential of amplification in the deep alluvial layer which is common in Kyeongju area. the response spectrum based on the Korea design guide was sometimes underestimate the motion. particularly near the natural period of the site and the importance of site-specific analysis and need for the improved site categorization method were introduced.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.718-721
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• 2005

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the usage of microtremor in estimation of subsurface structure and ground response to ground motion. Ground motion amplification based on site condition of an area is an important parameter for dynamic design. Microtremor cover the characteristics in a low frequency range, while forced vibrations cover them in a high-frequency range. Microtremor consider ground characteristics and offer transfer function in area. To determine the dominant frequency, the passive microtremor measurement is performed and to determine the transfer function of test site, active microtremor measurement is performed. Microtremor measurement in the site is compared with theoretical transfer function calculated from the known structures.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.872-879
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• 2010

High rock-fill embankment is relatively flexible, which makes crest of embankment subject to excessive amplification in displacement due to earthquake loading. To overcome problems related with site response in high embankment, it is essential to evaluate shear-wave velocity profile of the embankment with improved accuracy and reliability. In this aspect, an experimental research was performed to answer how to perform surface-wave tests and to analyze measurements at an embankment site with a sloping ground surface. Unlike flat ground surface, sloping ground may hamper and slow down propagation of surface waves due to multiple reflections and refractions in embankment. To figure out this reasoning for the effect of multiple reflections and refractions due to sloping surface, surface wave tests were performed at a reservoir embankment of Chung-Song in North KyeongSang Province. Parameters involved in surface wave tests at non-flat surface, including source directionality, geometry-related constraint and frequency components in source function, were investigated using field measurements.