Abstract:A procedure for determining the ground motion parameters of a dam site located on a deep overburden layer that meet the relevant codes in Europe and America is presented. The KH pumped storage power station in Israel is taken as an example. First, the peak ground acceleration and design response spectrum at the bedrock are determined on the basis of SI 413-2013 and the seismic zoning map in Israel. Then, five seeded recorded ground motions are selected on the basis of the geological conditions of the dam site. The input acceleration time histories, peak accelerations, and response spectra of the bedrock for the upper reservoir and reservoirs can be determined on the basis of the five ground motions. Second, site response analysis is performed by using the 1-D elastic wave propagation program SHAKE. Then, the average peak acceleration, average response spectrum, and time histories of response acceleration at the surface of the overburden layer are obtained. Finally, the average response spectrum and peak acceleration in the horizontal direction at the foundation surface are obtained by smoothing the obtained average response spectrum and peak acceleration in accordance with ASCE 7-05. The presented method can retain the real dynamic characteristics, including duration, phase, and frequency, of input ground motion. Thus, this method can be used as an effective and efficient alternative to seismic analysis in geotechnical practices in China.
