• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.56-63
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• 2006

Facilities of 76skV Substation(S/S) play an important role in electric power supply grids. Various power facilities of 765kV S/S might be damaged enormously if a strong earthquake occurs. In an effort to mitigate possible earthquake disasters, KEPRI (Korea Electric Power Research Institute) set forth plans to verify seismic safety of the facilities of 765kV S/S. To accomplish the task, an earthquake monitoring systems is constructed at four 765kV S/S sites(Shin-AnSung, Shin-TaeBaek, Shin-SeoSan and Shin-GaPyung). Data from these earthquake monitoring stations are being transmitted via satellite communication. Currently, KEPRI is operating an earthquake monitoring system in freefield of Shin-SeoSan S/S (NSS) tentatively, Also, the data from NSS is preliminarily analyzed using the horizontal to vertical (H/V) spectrum ratio method. The method of H/V spectrum ratio has been used to infer site amplification without previous knowledge of near surface geology. The results of data analysis shorts good S/N ratio and amplification of 20-25 Hz by site effect. In the near future, the accumulated data is expected to provide a basis for assessing and predicting any damages to integrity of 765kV S/S facilities by earthquakes.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.557-585
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• 2013

The recent huge earthquake ground motion records in Japan result in the reconsideration of seismic design forces for nuclear power stations from the view point of seismological research. In addition, the seismic design force should be defined also from the view point of structural engineering. In this paper it is shown that one of the occurrence mechanisms of such large acceleration in recent seismic records (recorded in or near massive structures and not free-field ground motions) is due to the interaction between a massive building and its surrounding soil which induces amplification of local mode in the surface soil. Furthermore on-site investigation after earthquakes in the nuclear power stations reveals some damages of soil around the building (cracks, settlement and sand boiling). The influence of plastic behavior of soil is investigated in the context of interaction between the structure and the surrounding soil. Moreover the amplification property of the surface soil is investigated from the seismic records of the Suruga-gulf earthquake in 2009 and the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake in 2011. Two methods are introduced for the analysis of the non-stationary process of ground motions. It is shown that the non-stationary Fourier spectra can detect the temporal change of frequency contents of ground motions and the displacement profile integrated from its acceleration profile is useful to evaluate the seismic behavior of the building and the surrounding soil.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.183-190
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• 2007

The site effects of seismic stations were evaluated by conducting a simultaneous inversion of the stochastic point-source ground-motion model (STGM model; Boore, 2003) parameters based on the accumulated dataset of horizontal shear-wave Fourier spectra. A model parameter $K_0$ and frequency-dependent site amplification function A(f) were used to express the site effects. Once after a H/V ratio of the Fourier spectra was used as an initial estimate of A(f) for the inversion, the final A(f) which is considered to be the result of combined effect of the crustal amplification and loca lsite effects was calculated by averaging the log residuals at the site from the inversion and adding the mean log residual to the H/V ratio. The seismic stations were classified into five classes according to $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f), the maximum level of the site amplification function in the range of 1 Hz < f < 10 Hz, i.e., A: $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f) < 0.2, B: 0.2 $\leq$ $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f) < 0.4, C: 0.4 $\leq$ $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f) < 0.6, D: 0.6 $\leq$ $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f) < 0.8, E: 0.8 $\leq$ $logA_{1-10}^{max}$(f). Implication of the classified result was supported by observing a shift of the dominant frequency of average A(f) for each classified stations as the class changes. Change of site classes after moving seismic stations to a better site condition was successfully described by the result of the station classification. In addition, the observed PGA (Peak Ground Acceleration)-values for two recent moderate earthquakes were well classified according to the proposed station classes.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.373-386
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• 2022

The development of performance-based design methodologies requires a reasonable definition of a displacement-response spectrum. Although ground motions are known to be significantly affected by the resonant-like amplification behavior caused by multiple wave reflections within the surface soil, such a soil-resonance effect is seldom explicitly considered in current-displacement spectral models. In this study, an analytical approach is developed for the construction of displacement-response spectra by considering the soil-resonance effect. For this purpose, a simple and rational equation is proposed for the response spectral ratio at the site fundamental period (SRTg) to represent the soil-resonance effect based on wave multiple reflection theory. In addition, a bilinear model is adopted to construct the soil displacement-response spectra. The proposed model is verified by comparing its results with those obtained from actual observations and SHAKE analyses. The results show that the proposed model can lead to very good estimations of SRTg for harmonic incident seismic waves and lead to reasonable estimations of SRTg and soil displacement-response spectra for earthquakes with a relatively large magnitude, which are generally considered for seismic design, particularly in high-seismicity regions.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.225-242
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• 2008

The site effect for 23 broadband seismic stations in the southern Korean Peninsula was estimated by using the spectral ratio of coda waves. In principle, the site effect means the pure amplification below the station excluding effects of seismic source and attenuation in the wave transmission. However, the site effect determined in this study is equivalent with the relative site amplification factor to the mean amplification for all stations. A total of 500 three-component seismograms from 35 earthquakes, of which magnitude ranged from 2.5 to 5.1 occurred from January, 2001 to January, 2007 was used to obtain the site amplification factor. The site amplification factors were estimated for the frequency bands centered at 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 Hz. It was found that the factors for two horizontal components of transverse and radial records were concordant with each other in the all frequency bands. However, the factor for the vertical component was found to be systematically lower than those for two horizontal components. The factors obtained in the low frequency band below 2 Hz ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 in all seismic stations except for KMA and KIGAM stations in Bagryeongdo (BRD1 and BRD2) of which factor showed high value above 1.5. Some stations such as SEO, SNU, HKU, NPR, and GKPI showed high value above 1.5 in the high frequency band from 5 to 20 Hz. Especially, the factors of GKP1 station represented extremely high value ranging from 1.8 to 7.8. Also, the factors for stations of KWJ, SND, and ULJ showed low value below 0.5. The spatial distribution for the relative amplification factor represented a tendency of being approximately lower in north-eastern area than south-western area in the southern Korean Peninsula.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.2 s.48
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• pp.51-62
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• 2006

In the companion paper (I-Problem Statements of the Current Seismic Design Code), the current Korean seismic design code is required to be modified considering site characteristics in Korea for the reliable estimation of site amplification. In this paper, three site classification methods based on the mean shear wave velocity of the top 30m $V_{S30}$, fundamental site periods $(T_G)$ and bedrock depth were investigated and compared with each other to determine the best classification system. Not enough of a difference in the standard deviation of site coefficients $(F_a\;and\;F_v)$ to determine the best system, and neither is the difference between the average spectral accelerations and the design response spectrum of each system. However, the amplification range of RRS values based on $T_G$ were definitely concentrated on a narrow band than other classification system. It means that sites which have a similar behavior during earthquake will be classified as the same site category at the site classification system based on $T_G$. The regression curves between site coefficients and $T_G$ described the effect of soil non linearity well as the rock shaking intensity increases than the current method based on $V_{S30}$. Furthermore, it is unambiguous to determine sue category based on $T_G$ when the site investigation is performed to shallower depth less than 30m, whereas the current $V_{S30}$ is usually calculated fallaciously by extrapolating the $V_s$ of bedrock to 30m. From the results of this study, new site classification system based on $T_G$ was recommended for legions of shallow bedrock depth in Korea.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.983-997
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• 2015

This research evaluates the soil conditions for seismic stations situated in Romania using the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR). The strong ground motion database assembled for this study consists of 179 analogue and digital strong ground motion recordings from four intermediate-depth Vrancea seismic events with $M_w{\geq}6.0$. In the first step of the analysis, the influence of the earthquake magnitude and source-to-site distance on the H/V curves is evaluated. Significant influences from both the earthquake magnitude and hypocentral distance are found especially for soil class A sites. Next, a site classification method proposed in the literature is applied for each seismic station and the soil classes are compared with those obtained from borehole data and from the topographic slope method. In addition, the success and error rates of this method are computed and compared with other studies from the literature. A more in-depth analysis of the H/V results is performed using data from seismic stations in Bucharest and a comparison of the free-field and borehole H/V curves is done for three seismic stations. The results show large differences between the free-field and the borehole curves. As a conclusion, the results from this study represent an intermediary step in the evaluation of the soil conditions for seismic stations in Romania and the need to perform more detailed soil classification analysis is highly emphasized.

• 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.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.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.273-282
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• 2020

An innovative high-rise timber-concrete hybrid structure was proposed in previous research, which is composed of the concrete frame-tube structure and the prefabricated timber modules as main structure and substructures, respectively. Considering that the timber substructures are built on the concrete floors at a different height, the floor response spectrum is more effective in estimating the seismic response of substructures. In this paper, the floor response spectra of the hybrid structure with different structural parameters were calculated using dynamic time-history analysis. Firstly, one simplified model that can well predict the seismic response of the hybrid structure was proposed and validated. Then the construction site, the mass ratio and the frequency ratio of the main-sub structure, and the damping ratio of the substructures were discussed. The results demonstrate that the peaks of the floor response spectra usually occur near the vibration periods of the whole structure, among which the first two peaks stand out; In most cases, the acceleration amplification effect on substructures tends to be more evident when the construction site is farther from the fault rupture; On the other hand, the acceleration response of substructures can be effectively reduced with an appropriate increase in the mass ratio of the main-sub structure and the damping ratio of the substructures; However, the frequency ratio of the main-sub structure has no discernible effect on the floor response spectra. This study investigates the characteristics of the floor response spectrum of the novel timber-concrete structure, which supports the future applications of such hybrid structure in high-rise buildings.