SCEC Award Number 19173 View PDF
Proposal Category Collaborative Proposal (Integration and Theory)
Proposal Title SCEC Ground Motion Simulation Validation (GMSV) Guidelines on Utilization of Simulations for Engineering Building Response Applications
Investigator(s)
Name Organization
Ting Lin Texas Tech University Sanaz Rezaeian United States Geological Survey Nicolas Luco United States Geological Survey Gregory Deierlein Stanford University Jack Baker Stanford University Farzin Zareian University of California, Irvine
Other Participants
SCEC Priorities 4d, 4b, 4c SCEC Groups GM, EEII, CS
Report Due Date 04/30/2020 Date Report Submitted 08/31/2020
Project Abstract
 This project provides guidelines on the utilization of simulated earthquake ground motion time series for engineering building response applications based on research conducted in the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Ground Motion Simulation Validation (GMSV) Technical Activity Group. The emphasis here is on how to use simulated motions for building response studies once a target response spectrum is developed. The recent validation of ground motion simulations, especially for complex system response and site-specific spatial extent, provides the basis towards utilization. This work connects SCEC and other ground motion simulations to practical applications for code-based and performance-based engineering analyses of building responses. To illustrate the appropriateness of simulations for the intended usage, engineering application examples are demonstrated with documented SCEC data products. With this backdrop, we show what simulations are most useful for, what they can and cannot do, with best practices to encourage broader utilization of simulated motions in the engineering community.
Intellectual Merit As stated in the SCEC5 Science Plan Basic Question of Earthquake Science Q4, realistic physics-based predictions of strong ground motions are among the highest long-term priorities of SCEC. This research connects SCEC 1D and 3D ground motion simulations – specifically BBP and CyberShake – to practical applications for (a) code-based and (b) performance-based engineering analyses of building responses. The outcome directly addresses one of the two action items from the GMSV Planning Workshop in August 2018, as follows:
“Develop a white paper to describe how to use simulated motions for building response studies once a target response spectrum (e.g. UHS or CMS) is developed by some other process. The paper will include best practices, as we now understand them, and identify limitations to the methodology.”
Broader Impacts This work is an extension of our previous GMSV research with systematic evaluation of analysis outcomes to provide engineering recommendations, via a committee with representatives from research and practicing engineers, alongside seismology and IT experts. We envision this collaboration - incorporating participant research and stakeholder input - to have a high impact in translating SCEC science research to engineering practice, contributing to future GMSV effort.
Exemplary Figure Figure 2. Illustrative BBP 17.3 scenario simulations for three benchmark sites of (a) San Francisco Downtown, SFDT (8029-RIN); (b) Los Angeles Downtown (LADT, CyberShake site); and (c) San Bernardino (S688, CyberShake site), illustrating surrogate stations aligned with major contributing fault systems of Northern San Andreas (M 8.0), Hayward (M 7.0), Elysian Park (M 6.6), San Jacinto (M 7.8), and Southern San Andreas (M 7.9) in Northern and Southern California for tall building response applications (Courtesy of Nicolas Luco, Sanaz Rezaeian, Robert W. Graves, Christine Goulet, Fabio Silva, Philip J. Maechling, Kuanshi Zhong, Wen-Yi Yen, Gregory G. Deierlein, and Ting Lin).
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