Synthesis of earthquake ground motion at the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge :|stochastic simulations with a regional path duration function

Abstract

Strong ground shaking duration has got to be taken into consideration realistically in ground motion simulations as it is a key parameter affecting structural damages. Total duration of an earthquake comprises source and path properties. Among them path duration which is one of the most important parameters for use in stochastic simulation studies has long been defined as multilinear functions of distance modelled with regional or global earthquake ground motion recordings. Up-to-date path duration models available in the literature are based on global (PEER-NGAWest2) or regional (such as NEAmerica, Japan) strong motion database. Therefore, they represent either a global estimation or can be used only for certain regions. Turkey-specific path duration-distance function is absent in the scientific literature. The main purpose of this thesis is to fulfill this absence and propose a path duration-distance function utilizing the abundant strong motion database of Turkey as well as performing stochastic simulation of strong ground motions at the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge by using path duration function that describes the behavior of Turkish earthquakes. For the latter part of the study, a stochastic simulation method of Motazedian and Atkinson (2005): EXSIM is utilized. Effect of generic and site-specific local site amplification on the simulation is another subject that is investigated in the thesis. Subsequent to this suggestion, the said original method, which is also present on the SCEC (Southern California Earthquake Center) Broadband Platform, was improved by Boore (2009) and Assatourians and Atkinson (2012). Following the analyses which are intrinsic to above-mentioned parts of the study, the obtained regional path duration function has been discussed in detail, and simulations that have been performed throughout the thesis have been thoroughly assessed and presented.