Numerical and Empirical Simulation of Linear Elastic Seismic Response of a Building: The Case of Nice Prefecture

The structural motion of a tall reinforced concrete (RC) building on alluvial soil in Nice (France) is continuously recorded using accelerometers. The structural behavior of the building is studied using operational modal analysis (OMA) to identify its dynamic properties, a finite element (FE) model to reproduce the building response, and empirical Green's functions (EGFs) to generate the structural response to ground motions stronger than those registered in the analyzed seismic area. These different approaches are applied for the analysis of seismic response of the instrumented building and results are consistent. The FE model is calibrated by comparing natural frequencies and mode shapes with those obtained using OMA. Numerically-simulated time histories are qualitatively and quantitatively compared with recordings showing good agreement. Based on regional earthquakes, linear seismic response of the building is simulated for a stronger scenario earthquake using EGF. This approach allows for structural deformation analysis of existing buildings without the need of structural plans and mechanical parameter calibration in the case where the seismic response is within linear elastic regime.