Initial source and site characterization studies for the U. C. San Diego campus.

The basic approach of the Campus Laboratory Collaboration (CLC) project is to combine the substantial expertise that exists within the University of California (UC) system in geology, seismology, geotechnical engineering, and structural engineering to evaluate the effects of large earthquakes on UC facilities. These estimates draw upon recent advances in hazard assessment, seismic wave propagation modeling in rocks and soils, dynamic soil testing, and structural dynamics. The UC campuses currently chosen for applications of our integrated methodology are Riverside, San Diego, and Santa Barbara. The basic procedure is first to identify possible earthquake source regions and local campus site conditions that may affect estimates of strong ground motion. Combined geological , geophysical, and geotechnical studies are conducted to characterize each campus with specific focus on the location of particular target buildings of special interest to the campus administrators. The project will then drill and log deep boreholes next to the target structure, to provide direct in-situ measurements of subsurface material properties and to install uphole and downhole 3-component seismic sensors capable of recording both weak and strong motions. The boreholes provide access to deeper materials, below the soil layers, that have relatively high seismic shear-wave velocities. Analysis of conjugate downhole and uphole records provides a basis for optimizing the representation of the low-strain response of the sites. Earthquake rupture scenarios of identified causative faults are combined with the earthquake records and nonlinear soil models to provide site-specific estimates of strong motions at the selected target locations. The predicted ground motions are then used as input to the dynamic analysis of the buildings.

Topical;.