The SMART I Accelerograph Array (1980-1987): A Review

Abstract

SMART 1 is the first large digital array of strong-motion seismographs specially designed for engineering and seismological studies of the generation and near-field properties of earthquakes. Since the array began operation in September 1980, it has recorded over 3000 accelerogram traces from 48 earthquakes ranging in local magnitude ( ML) from 3.6 to 7.0. Peak ground accelerations have been recorded up to 0.33g and 0.34g on the horizontal and vertical components, respectively. Epicentral distances have ranged from 3 km 200 km from the array center, and focal depths have ranged from shallow to 100 km. The recorded earthquakes had both reverse and strike-slip focal mechanisms associated with the subduction zone and transform faults. These high quality, digital, ground motions provide a varied resource for earthquake engineering research. Earthquake engineering studies of the SMART 1 ground motion data have led to advances in knowledge in several cases: for example, on frequency-dependent incoherency of free-surface ground motions over short distances, on response of linear systems to multiple support excitations, on attenuation of peak ground-motion parameters and response spectra, on site torsion and phasing effects, and on the identification of wave types. Accelerograms from individual strong-motion seismographs do not, in general, provide such information. This review describes the SMART 1 array and the recorded earthquakes with special engineering applications. Also, it tabulates the unfiltered peak array accelerations, displays some of the recorded ground motion time histories, and summarizes the main engineering research that has made use of SMART 1 data.