Response of low-rise buildings to moderate ground shaking, particularly the May 1990 Weber earthquake
Abstract
In the Weber earthquake of 13 May 1990 the stronger component of the ground motions recorded in Dannevirke was similar in strength to the El Centro S00E record from the 1940 Imperial Valley earthquake which underlies the New Zealand loadings code, The Modified Mercalli intensity in Dannevirke however was only about MM7 1⁄2, whereas the intensity corresponding to the 1984 earthquake code is about MM8 1⁄2 for the Dannevirke area. This paper compares the strength of the Dannevirke record in terms of spectral accelerations with (i) the above El Centro record, (ii) the Matahina dam record of the 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake, and (iii) the loadings of the 1984 and 1992 New Zealand codes. Also described in the paper are time-history analyses of one- and two- storey buildings subjected to the above ground motions in an attempt to explain why the damage levels were lower than might be expected from the strength of the recorded accelerograms. Comparisons are made of the seismic performance of moment-resisting frames and walled structures. Comments are made on two of the provisions of the 1992 loadings code.