Seismic resonance vulnerability assessment for different structural systems through soil characterization: application in Guadalajara city, Mexico

This work focused on the resonance vulnerability assessment for different structural systems based in soil characterization and structural fundamental periods. The study is conducted in Guadalajara city, Mexico, which is considered the largest urban settlement on pumice sands, enclosed by three seismic sources, five million inhabitants, and with different typologies of buildings. An innovative process based on ambient vibration was applied to estimate the soil characterization in a big urban area. A fieldwork campaign was conducted to measure ambient vibration in the entire city. Moreover, the vulnerability to resonance is presented in a graphical view that can be implemented elsewhere. The obtained results show that soil characterization should not be disregarded in resonance vulnerability assessment and that small changes in the fundamental soil period have impact on the structural vulnerability to resonance. Structural systems with reduced number of stories show resonance effects in soils with short period values and conversely tall buildings exhibited resonance effects in soils with long period values. The maps show in a graphical and fast way which areas of the city are prone to resonance effects. This work is aimed to address the soil characterization in Guadalajara and possible resonance effects for different types of buildings. The results show a progressive increase on the soil fundamental period (TS) from east to west. Three main contributions are presented, the geotechnical zonation on 120 sites, the structural fundamental period for different typologies of buildings and the resonance vulnerability maps.