Strong earthquake motion and site conditions: Hollywood

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Abstract
An investigation was made to determine the feasibility of isolating the effects of site conditions on strong earthquake accelerograms. The set of accelerograms recorded simultaneously in 1952 at the roof, in the basement and on the ground outside the 14-story Hollywood Storage Building was chosen for analysis. Fourier spectra were computed for the two horizontal components at each of the three recording places and were used after smoothing to compute the ratios of spectra for adjacent points. Dynamic models of the subsurface conditions, the foundation and the building were established. Certain of the spectral ratios were also determined theoretically. The primary result is the development of a method of isolating effects of site conditions in Fourier spectra of accelerograms. Good theoretical checks were obtained on soil-structure interaction and structural response in the east-west direction. The absence of bedrock accelerograms prevented the obtaining of a theoretical check on free-field amplification, although plausible bedrock Fourier spectra were obtained. The subsurface model should be useful for further analyses.

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