Effects of soil conditions upon earthquake structural safety

Abstract

Seismic loading can be considerably influenced by local soil conditions, and so the behaviour and probability of failure of structures founded on soil, It is emphasized that it is inconvenient to define seismic intensity through a constant power spectrum of acceleration over the frequency range of O to 5 Hz, taking no account of local soil conditions, To· reduce to acceptable values the probability of failure of a structure it is necessary to evaluate the frequency selectivity of the soil to take in account the eventual amplification effects produced by a sort of resonant phenomenon,