A SEMI-EMPIRICAL METHOD TO SYNTHESIZE EARTHQUAKE GROUND MOTIONS BASED ON APPROXIMATE FAR-FIELD SHEAR-WAVE DISPLACEMENT

Abstract

Estimation of strong ground motions is an important subject foi earthquake resistant design of structures. Since Hartzell's work (lg78)", a semi-empirical method to simulate ground motions of a large earthquake by utilizing small-event records as Green'$ functions has been applied by many 'researchers. Kanamori {1979)'2 pfoposed'a rnethod to simulate Love-wave displacements by considering the difference of the seismic mornent between the small and th'e large events. Imagawa & Mikumo (1982)'3 and Irikura (1983)'` simulated displacement and velocity motions, respectively, based on the similarity ielations of earthquakes that the ruptured fault ,length, width and average distocation are proportional to each other, Tanaka et aL (1982)'5 simulated accelerograms by considering