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Considerations on seismic microzonation in areas with two-dimensional hills

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Abstract

This paper presents the results of an extensive numerical parametric study on seismic behavior of 2D homogenous hills subjected to vertically propagating incident SV waves. It is shown that the amplification potential of these hills is strongly influenced by the wavelength, by the shape ratio, by the shape of the hill and in a less order of importance, by the Poisson ratio of the media. The 2D topography effect could be ignored, only if the hill has a shape ratio of less than 0.1 or if it is subjected to incident waves with predominant dimensionless periods of greater than 13 times the shape ratio. In incidence of waves with wavelengths longer than the width of the hill, the amplification curve usually finds its maximum at the crest and decreases towards the base of the hill. Else, some de-amplification zones would occur along the hill. Among hills with similar shape ratios, those with intermediate cross section areas show intermediate seismic behavior, too. Estimated seismic site coefficients for the crest of a 2D rocky hill depend on its shape ratio and could reach even 1.7, which encourages one to classify it according to standard site categorization procedures as soil profile types SC or SD instead of the conventional SB type.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geotechnical Engineering Research Center, International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, 26 Arghavan St., North Dibajee, Farmanieh, Tehran, I.R., Iran

    Mohsen Kamalian

  2. Seismology Research Center, International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, 26 Arghavan St., North Dibajee, Farmanieh, Tehran, I.R., Iran

    Abdollah Sohrabi-Bidar

  3. Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic Azad University, South of Tehran Campus, Ahang Highway, Abouzar Building, Afsarieh Highway, Tehran, I.R., Iran

    Arash Razmkhah

  4. Civil Engineering Department, Iran University of Science and Technology, Narmak, Tehran, I.R., Iran

    Amirata Taghavi

  5. Transportation Research Institute, No. 19, Noor Street, Afrigha Avenue, Tehran, I.R., Iran

    Iraj Rahmani

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  1. Mohsen Kamalian
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  2. Abdollah Sohrabi-Bidar
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  3. Arash Razmkhah
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  4. Amirata Taghavi
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  5. Iraj Rahmani
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Kamalian, M., Sohrabi-Bidar, A., Razmkhah, A. et al. Considerations on seismic microzonation in areas with two-dimensional hills. J Earth Syst Sci 117 (Suppl 2), 783–796 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-008-0069-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-008-0069-z

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