Empirical attenuation relationship for Arias Intensity

Abstract

SUMMARYArias Intensity is a ground motion parameter that captures the potential destructiveness of an earthquake as the integral of the square of the acceleration-time history. It correlates well with several commonly used demand measures of structural performance, liquefaction, and seismic slope stability. A new empirical relationship is developed to estimate Arias Intensity as a function of magnitude, distance, fault mechanism, and site category based on 1208 recorded ground motion data from 75 earthquakes in active plate-margins. Its functional form is derived from the point-source model, and the coe cients are determined through non-linear regression analyses using a random-e ects model. The results show that for large magnitude earthquakes (M ¿7) Arias Intensity was signiÿcantly overestimated by previous relationships while it was underestimated for smaller magnitude events (M 66). The average horizontal Arias Intensity is not signiÿcantly a ected by forward rupture directivity in the near-fault region. The aleatory variability associated with Arias Intensity is larger than that of most other ground motion parameters such as spectral acceleration. However, it may be useful in assessing the potential seismic performance of sti engineering systems whose response is dominated by the short-period characteristics of ground motions.

A preliminary investigation of strong-motion data from the French Antilles

“…where PGA is peak ground acceleration of the larger horizontal component, PGV is peak ground velocity (geometric mean), PGD is peak ground displacement (geometric mean), AI is Arias intensity (arithmetic mean) and RSD is relative significant duration (arithmetic mean), defined as the interval between the first exceedence of 5 and 95% of total Arias intensity [Trifunac and Brady, 1975]. Estimated PGA is from the model of Ambraseys et al [2005], estimated PGV is from the model of Campbell [1997], estimated PGD is from the model of Sadigh and Egan [1998], estimated AI is from the model of Travasarou et al [2003] and estimated RSD is from the model of Abrahamson and Silva [1996].…”

New predictive equations for Arias intensity from crustal earthquakes in New Zealand

“…In particular, the ability to reflect the energy of a groundmotion signal distributed across a broad frequency band or, equivalently, to reflect the influence of the entire duration of a ground motion is a property of Arias Intensity that lends itself to prudent application in many structural and geotechnical applications. Travasarou et al (2003) have demonstrated the effectiveness of using Arias Intensity as a predictor of the likelihood of damage to short-period structures, showing that the correlation between Arias Intensity and structural damage is, in this case, stronger than that between peak ground acceleration and structural damage. Arias Intensity is also a very useful ground-motion measure that can be used in geotechnical applications such as in the determination of the likelihood of rock falls and landslides (Harp and Wilson 1995;Del Gaudio et al 2003) or for estimating the susceptibility of a site to liquefaction (Egan and Rosidi 1991;Kayen and Mitchell 1997;Kramer and Mitchell 2006).…”

“…In order to conduct hazard analyses in terms of Arias Intensity, stable empirical ground-motion models must be available for this purpose. However, in comparison with other measures of strong ground motion, there are very few models for Arias Intensity that could be used within a PSHA (Wilson and Keefer 1985;Keefer and Wilson 1989;Wilson 1993;Sabetta and Pugliese 1996;Travasarou et al 2003). Of the few models that are available, most must now be considered obsolete, as they do not make use of the large number of high-quality strong-motion records that have been compiled over the past decade or so.…”

“…Some of the most recent work considering Arias Intensity has focussed upon earthquake-specific scaling that cannot be used within a PSHA framework (Hwang et al 2004). Of the potentially usable models, the model of Travasarou et al (2003) is based upon, by far, the largest dataset and uses the most comprehensive functional form for the regression model. A big weakness of the remaining models is their very limited consideration of site response; most are either derived for a specific site class or use dummy variables to distinguish between site classes.…”

Design Ground Motion Library

“…Kramer and Mitchell (2003), in studies for PEER, proposed the use of cumulative absolute velocity (CAV) as a parameter correlated with the development of excess pore water pressure and liquefaction in soils. Travasarou et al (2003), also in studies for PEER, proposed the use of Arias Intensity as a parameter correlated with damage to stiff systems such as shortperiod structures and stiff soil slopes. Both CAV and I a contain the effects of ground motion duration as well as amplitude because the parameters are summed over the duration of the time history.…”