Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Site response assessment and ground conditions at King Saud University Campus, Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Arabian Journal of Geosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Site response characteristics have a significant influence on ground motion vibrations. To evaluate the site response effects at King Saud University campus, the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) technique has been applied at 45 sites with about 400-m spacing. The recording time was more than 1 h at each site with a sampling rate of 100 Hz. The data were processed and analyzed using Geopsy software to produce measurements of fundamental frequency and minimum site amplification factor. Moreover, shear-wave velocity down to 30-m depth has been acquired at 10 measuring sites in the campus. In addition, geotechnical borehole data were collected from four boreholes within the campus. Generally, in majority of sites the H/V curve for amplitude spectra displayed a clear peak, signifying the presence of a sharp soil–bedrock impedance contrast between alluvial deposits and underlying bedrock. It is indicated that the fundamental frequency ranges between 0.64 and 1.94 Hz. Given the measured resonance frequency of around 1 Hz, buildings located on the alluvium that have 5 stories in height could experience soil-structure resonance, while the amplification factor varies from 1.19 to 11.22 indicating localized zones having high vulnerability index due to the considerable thickness of alluvial deposits. Moreover, shear-wave velocity ranges between 320 m/s and 684 m/s revealing zones of stiff soil to very dense soil/or soft rock which is correlated well with the geotechnical parameters of borehole data. Based on these results, the ground conditions of near-surface sediments in the King Saud University campus indicate weak zones that led to ground subsidence resulting in differential settlements of foundations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdelrahman K, Abd El-Aal A, El-Hady S, Mohamed A, Abdel-Moniem E (2012) Fundamental site frequency estimation at New Domiat city, Egypt. Arab J Geosci 5:653–661. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-010-0222-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • AECOM. Riyadh Metro Project Package 1: Geotechnical Interpretive Report. 2014.

  • Bard PY (2007) International training course on: seismology, seismic data analysis, hazard assessment and risk mitigation. Potsdam, Germany, pp 17–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Barton NR, Lien R, Lunde J (1974) Engineering classification of rock masses for the design of tunnel support. Rock Mech 6(4):189–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boore DM (2013) The uses and limitations of the square-root-impedance method for computing site amplification. Bull Seismol Soc Am 103(4):2356–2368. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120120283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deere DU (1989) Rock quality designation (RQD) after 20 years, U.S. Army Corps Engrs. Contract Report GL-89-1. Vicksburg, MS: Waterways Experimental Station.

  • Dunand F, Bard P Y, Chatelain J L, Guéguen P, Vassail T and Farsi M N (2002) Damping and frequency from random method applied to insitu measurements of ambient vibrations: evidence for effective soil structure interaction. 12th European Conference on Earthquake Engineering, London. p. 869.

  • El-Asa‘ad G (1984) The paleobiogeographic distribution of the Late Cretaceous fauna of Arabia and surrounding areas. Arab Gulf J Sci Res 2(1):105–121

    Google Scholar 

  • Fnais MS, Abdelrahman K,  Al-Amri AM (2010) Microtremor measurements in Yanbu city of Western Saudi Arabia: A tool for seismic microzonation. Journal of King Saud University - Science 22(2):97–110

  • Konno K, Ohmachi T (1998) Ground-motion characteristics estimated from spectral ratio between horizontal and vertical components of microtremors: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 88, p. 228–241.

  • Lucian C, Wangwe EM (2013) The usefulness of rock quality designation (RQD) in determining strength of the rock. Int Refereed J Eng Sci 2(9):36–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Manivit J, Pellaton C, Vaslet D, Le Nindre YM, Brosse JM, Breton JP, Fourniguet J (1985) Geologic map of the Darma’ quadrangle, sheet 24 H, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (with text): Saudi Arabian Deputy Ministry for Mineral Resources, Jeddah, Geoscience Map GM-101A.

  • Meyerhof G (1956) Penetration tests and bearing capacity of cohesionless soils. J Soils Mechanics and Foundation Division ASCE, 82(SM1).

  • Noor M, Daud M (2016) Determination of soil thickness based on natural frequency using microtremor measurement. ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 11(8): 5342–5346

  • Powers RW (1966) Geology of the Arabian Peninsula. Sedimentary geology of Saudi Arabia. U.S, Geological Survey Professional Paper

    Google Scholar 

  • Powers RW (1968) Lexique stratigraphique international: Saudi Arabia: vol. III, Asie, fasc. 10 b 1: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, 177 p.

  • SESAME Project (2004) Site effects using ambient excitations. URL: http://sesame-fp5.obs.ujf-grenoble.en. Accessed on May 1, 2017.

  • Shehata H, Das B (Eds.) (2019) GeoMEast 2018, SUCI, pp. 21–39. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01923-5_3

  • Soil and Foundation Company (SAFCO) report (2014) Geotechnical investigation report for the proposed KACST and KSU project, 60 p.

  • Susilo A, Wiyono S (2012) Frequency analysis and seismic vulnerability index by using Nakamura methods at a new artery way in Porong, Sidoarjo, Indonesia. Int J Appl Phys Math 2(4):227–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaslet D, Al-Musllem M, Maddah S, Brosse JM, Foumiguet J, Breton JP, Le Nindre YM (1991) Geologic map of the Ar Riyad quadrangle, sheet 24 I, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (without Landsat base): Saudi Arabian Deputy Ministry for Mineral Resources. Jeddah, Geoscience Map GM-121 C.

  • Ventura CE, Onur T, Hao Ken X.-S (2004) Site period estimations in the fraser river delta using microtremor measurements - experimental and analytical studies. 13th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Vancouver, Canada, August 1–6, 2004, Paper No. 1075

  • Vincent (2008) Saudi Arabia: an environmental overview. Taylor & Francis

Download references

Acknowledgments

Deep thanks are extended to the reviewers for their beneficial review and valuable comments.

Funding

The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for its funding this research group No. RGP -1436-010.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geology and Geophysics Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Sattam A. Almadani & Kamal Abdelrahman

  2. Seismology Dep., National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, Cairo, Egypt

    Kamal Abdelrahman

  3. King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Fahad I. bin Mansour

Authors
  1. Sattam A. Almadani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kamal Abdelrahman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fahad I. bin Mansour
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sattam A. Almadani.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Abdullah Al-Amri

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Almadani, S.A., Abdelrahman, K. & Mansour, F.I.b. Site response assessment and ground conditions at King Saud University Campus, Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. Arab J Geosci 13, 357 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-05378-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-05378-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation