Spatial distribution of soil shear-wave velocity and the fundamental period of vibration – a case study of the Saguenay region, Canada

ABSTRACT

The spatial distribution of soil shear-wave velocity and the fundamental period of vibration were selected as input parameters for the determination of potential seismic site effects in the Saguenay region, Canada. The methodology used in this study involved three clear steps. First, a 3D geological model of the surficial deposits was built taking into consideration the type, spatial distribution and thickness of the deposits. Second, representative average V_s values were determined for each of the major soil units. Finally, the average shear-wave velocity from the ground surface to bedrock (V_sav), the shear-wave velocity of the upper 30 m (V_s30) and the fundamental site resonance period (T₀) were calculated over a regular grid for the study area. The results include the spatial distribution of the fundamental site resonance period, the average shear-wave velocity in the first 30 m of the ground and the spatial distribution of National Building Code of Canada seismic soil classes for the Saguenay region.

KEYWORDS:

• Seismic hazard and risk
• seismic site effects
• V_s30
• T₀

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the team of the PACES project at UQAC for providing access to the database and, particularly, to Julien Walter for useful discussions and precious help in the development of the 3D geological model.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.