Technical Note: Practical Challenges Facing the Selection of Conditional Spectrum-Compatible Accelerograms

Abstract

There are various possibilities for the selection and scaling of ground motions for advanced seismic assessment of buildings using nonlinear response-history analyses. As part of an on-going project looking at building-specific loss assessment in Italy, this article highlights a number of challenges currently facing the use of conditional spectra for ground motion selection in practice, essentially related to the limited amount of seismic hazard information that is publicly available. To illustrate the points being made, the challenges faced when trying to develop conditional spectra and select spectrum-compatible accelerograms for a rock site in Napoli, Italy, are described and the seismic assessment results obtained for a number of reinforced concrete wall structures are presented. Aside from providing practitioners with an appreciation of the potential difficulty associated with using conditional spectra for record selection, this technical note should also motivate national authorities to provide more background information on national seismic hazard data and detailed guidance for record selection.

Keywords:

• Ground-Motion Selection
• Conditional Spectrum
• Spectrum Compatible Accelerograms
• RC Walls
• Seismic Assessment

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge that the research leading to these results has received funding from the Italian Department of Civil Protection as part of the research line 7 of the 2014 RELUIS project and the 2014 EUCENTRE project C2.2.

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) provided financial support to the first author for conducting part of his post-doctoral research at the EUCENTRE in Italy.

Additional information

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge that the research leading to these results has received funding from the Italian Department of Civil Protection as part of the research line 7 of the 2014 RELUIS project and the 2014 EUCENTRE project C2.2. The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) provided financial support to the first author for conducting part of his post-doctoral research at the EUCENTRE in Italy.