Improved Site Characterization for Enhanced Seismic Analysis of Rock Slopes

Abstract eng:
For a proper risk assessment it is necessary to consider all parameters and variables that play an important role in a particular phenomenon. For the case of co-seismic rock slides, we believe that current methodologies for stability analysis do not accomplish that goal, given the lack of information in their models, which leads to uncertainties in risk analysis. It has been evidenced that site effects may have an important role on potentially unstable slopes [1, 2, 3, 4] and that also depth changes of shear wave velocity, and three-dimensional effects of this same parameter generate significant effects on seismic amplification on slopes [5]. Using ambient vibration records this work combines different techniques in order to characterize a sandstone landslide occurred on the Maule earthquake, Chile, 2010. Passive seismic tomography based on noise cross-correlations is used to map lateral and vertical changes in the shear wave velocity of the surficial soil layers. Horizontal-to-Vertical spectral ratios, are used to estimate the predominant Eigen frequency of the system and of the upper layers of the slope. The used methodologies proved to be a reliable source of information, retrieving inner heterogeneities and dynamic properties which improves characterization, and have probably a significant influence on the dynamic response and stability.

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