Abstract
The 1985 experience in Mexico City has again demonstrated that building damage from earthquakes is related to the ground conditions beneath the building. When the natural period of the building matches the natural site period, resonance can occur, resulting in large building deformations and severe damage. Mapping dynamic site periods for a city, and governing building construction accordingly can greatly reduce the threat of damage from earthquakes. Using dynamic soil property data and a one-dimensional linear elastic computer program, a dynamic site period map for Charleston, SC, is developed and presented. Comparison of the building damage distribution for the 1886 earthquake with the distribution of dynamic site periods shows the important role of dynamic site period. An approximate method of estimating the linear site period is given.
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