Seismic characterization of rigid sites in the ITACA database by ambient vibration monitoring and geological surveys

• Published in: Bulletin of earthquake engineering Vol. 9; no. 6; pp. 1839 - 1854
• Main Authors: Pileggi, Domenico, Rossi, David, Lunedei, Enrico, Albarello, Dario
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-12-2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Accelerometers; Civil Engineering; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Earthquake engineering; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Focusing; Geological surveys; Geophysics/Geodesy; Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences; Hydrogeology; Original Research Paper; Prospecting; Rocks; Seismic engineering; Seismic phenomena; Seismology; Structural Geology; Vibration; Vibration analysis; Wave velocity; ESAC; Reference sites; Surface waves; Ambient vibrations; Accelerometric networks; HVSR
• ISSN: 1570-761X; 1573-1456
• DOI: 10.1007/s10518-011-9292-0

The problem of seismic characterization of rock-mass or stiff-soil outcrops by the use of passive seismic prospecting techniques is discussed. Difficulties in the application of this kind of procedure in the presence of rugged morphology, high surface wave velocities and low ambient vibration powers, typical of stiff-soil/rock-mass sites are examined. A methodology to face these problems is here proposed, which is based on the strict synergy of detailed geologic surveys and application of robust seismic prospecting techniques, jointly considering single-station and multi-station tools. The application of this approach for the characterization of a number of sites belonging to the Italian Accelerometric Network is described, focusing on two representative case histories.