Evaluation of Site Response Analysis for Vertical Ground Motions Based on Downhole Array Records: Case Study of the Service Hall Array in Japan

摘要

This study was motivated by the observed amplifications of vertical ground motions in recent earthquakes and the need to improve our understanding of site response analysis (SRA) for vertical ground motions as a growing body of evidence suggests that vertical ground motions can play a key role in structural damage. This study attempts to evaluate the existing modeling capabilities in 1 dimensional (1D) SRA using the finite element (FE) program LS-DYNA to reproduce the amplifications of vertical ground motions. Data from a geotechnical downhole array in Japan (i.e. service hall array) was used for the model validation. This paper further discusses the advantages and limitations of the 1D SRA for vertical ground motions and highlights the key modeling challenges in LS-DYNA.