Ground Motion Simulation Validation based on Loss Metrics

The effect of the earthquake ground motion parameters on the probabilistic loss estimationof buildings is the major interest of this study. For the seismic performance assessment,real ground motion records from the past earthquakes are required. Estimation of repaircosts in future earthquakes is the major component for seismic loss analysis. This studyaddresses the sensitivity of the statistical characteristics of ground motions contributing tothe building loss. Among these characteristics are the ground-shaking intensity (Arias In-tensity),duration, and frequency at the middle of strong-shaking phase of the ground motion.These parameters are vital in determining the seismic response of the building structure. Ane study on the sensitivity of the seismic response and corresponding loss of the buildingstructure to ground motions model parameters is carried out using Performance-based Earth-quake Engineering and Performance Assessment Computational Tool, respectively. But dueto the scarcity of moderate to large earthquakes, the real records fail to match the requiredcharacteristics of motions, as there are insufficient set of data available for analysis to becarried out. Even, the of technique scaling ground motions results in overall unrealistic properties. This has led to the simulation of ground motions which will provide the additionaland hopefully accurate predicted information on characteristics of the moderate to largeearthquakes. Hence, a fully non-stationary stochastic model for strong earthquake groundmotion model is considered which employs the statistical characteristics (waveform parameters) as model parameters matched with those of identied for a large sample of recorded ground motions for specfied earthquake and site characteristics, to deliver simulated ground motions to examine the building loss metrics, which depends on the uncertainties in various analysis process starting from obtaining Intensity Measure (IM), Demand parameters (EDPs) to the repair cost estimates. From the predictive equations, specifed earthquake and site characteristics results in the model parameters.Further, the validity of simulated ground motion time series representing the real groundshaking during future earthquakes is a crucial step. This study employs the hybrid broad-band ground motion simulation applied simulations to validate against the real records. Withthe help of hybrid approach, making use of wave propagation phenomena and site responsecharacterization, effort has been taken for validation of these simulated ground motions isconducted for the sensitivity of seismic response and loss for these simulated ground motions