34.8. Time History and Site-Specific Ground Motion

Try these first

1. 1.

   What is time history analysis?

   Hint

   Think about how it uses actual earthquake data.

2. 2.

   Why is ground motion selection important?

   Hint

   Consider what happens if we ignore local conditions.

3. 3.

   What is the primary purpose of time history analysis?

   • A. To predict maximum ground shaking
   • B. To assess structural behavior over time
   • C. To select construction materials

   Hint

   Focus on how it deals with the timing of ground motion.

4. 4.

   True or False: Synthetic ground motions are always less reliable than real recorded data.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Consider how modeling works in engineering.

5. 5.

   Given a building in a high seismic zone, describe how you would select appropriate ground motion data for time history analysis. What factors would you consider?

   Hint

   Think about both real events and models.

6. 6.

   Analyze the risks of using generic ground motion data versus site-specific data in earthquake design. What could go wrong?

   Hint

   Consider the implications of ignoring local variables.