Seismic ground response in the presence of underground elliptical soft inclusions subjected to propagating incident SH-waves

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Civil Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran

2 Department of Civil Engineering, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran

Abstract

In this paper, seismic response of the ground surface was presented in the presence of a subsurface elliptical inclusion subjected to propagating incident SH-waves. A numerical approach known as half-plane time-domain BEM that was able to focus the meshes only around the inclusion was used for analysing the problem. After implementing the method in a general algorithm and solving a verification example, a sensitivity analysis was successfully carried out to obtain the amplification pattern of the surface in the presence of a soft elliptical inclusion with considering some key parameters including the ratios of depth, location, shape, impedance and incident wave angle. Finally, by obtaining the maximum amplification of the surface and linear regression from them, the results were summarized in the form of tables and linear equations for engineering applications. The achievements showed that all these parameters were effective in forming different pattern of the ground surface. The results can be practically used in completing the existing seismic codes for heterogeneous domains with underground lenses.

Keywords


Volume 20, Issue 51
September 2018
Pages 64-83
  • Receive Date: 13 May 2018
  • Revise Date: 21 August 2019
  • Accept Date: 21 September 2018