Response envelope spectrum and interpretation of strong earthquake ground motion

abstract A multiple filter technique is developed using a single-degree-of-freedom lightly-damped oscillator as a narrow band-pass filter. It provides for a physically simple approach to the analysis of accelerograph records from the point of view of structural engineering. The analysis of several typical accelerograph records indicates that a significant portion of strong earthquake ground motion consists of surface waves. It is concluded that the duration of intense shaking will be determined predominantly by the dispersion properties of the ground.