Stochastic Approach for 2D Superficial Seismic Amplification Based on Quad4M; City of L’Aquila (Italy) Test Case

Abstract

The values of the physical–mechanical properties of any soil are affected by uncertainties both due to experimental measurements and the impossibility of knowing them, in detail, at every point of the spatial domain. Accordingly, this work focuses on uncertainty in shear wave velocity (Vs) and its impact on the seismic response. The Monte Carlo method, based on pseudo-random number generation, was selected. To understand which random distributions could identify the site’s real conditions, the Fourier spectrum frequencies were calculated for each realization and were compared with the predominant natural site frequency. The experimental range data were used to calculate the spectral average acceleration and the horizontal amplification factors. The simulations were performed and interpreted by a modified version of VisualQ4M software based on 2D Quad4M, including the generation of pseudo-random numbers and pre- and post-data processing. A site at a small scale, in the territory of the city of L’Aquila (Italy), was selected as the test case. This paper demonstrates, from a numerical point of view, that both a simple local topographic modification due to excavation and the uncertainties of the numerical values, even of the shear wave velocity alone, can have an important impact on the local seismic amplification.