TABLE OF CONTENTS This chapter discusses typical sources of ground motion that affect buildings, the effects of ground motion on simple structures, response spectra, design response spectra (also called design spectra), and design response spectra for inelastic systems. The importance of these topics is reflected in the fact that such characterizations normally form the loading input for many aspects of shock-related design, including seismic design. Selected material are presented which are pertinent to the design of resisting systems, for example, buildings designed to meet code requirements related to earthquakes.
Ground motion may arise from any number of sources such as earthquake excitation [1], [2] (described in detail in this chapter), high explosive, [3] or nuclear device detonations. [4] In such cases, the source excitation can lead to major vibration of the primary structure or facility and its many parts, as well as to transient and permanent translation and rotation of the ground on which the facility is constructed. Detonations may result in drag and side-on overpressures, ballistic ejecta, and thermal and radiation effects.
Other sources of ground excitation, although usually not as strong, can be equally troublesome. For example, the location of a precision machine shop near a railroad or highway, or of delicate laboratory apparatus in a plant area containing heavy drop forging machinery or unbalanced rotating machinery are typical of situations in which ground-transmitted vibrations may pose serious problems.
Another different class of vibrational problems arises...
