MONITORING SEISMIC SAFETY AND
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF TALL BUILDINGS
M. Nafi Toksoz (EAPS)
H. Sadi Kuleli (EAPS)
Oral Buyukozturk (CEE)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Ciambridge,MA, USA
COLLABORATOR:
Mehmet Celebi (USGS)
8 th Gulf Seismic Forum
3-6 March 2013, Muscat, Oman
Background

There is a rapid growth of mega cities, mega structures and
very tall buildings worldwide, including the Middle East.

Seismic hazard assessment for tall buildings requires a
special approach that emphasizes the effects of long-period
ground motions.

The long-period, long-duration displacements, such as
surface waves, coupled to tall buildings get amplified greatly
and produce vibrations that last minutes. Accelerationbased traditional hazard analysis methods do not take these
into account. A new approach is required for tall buildings.
Kuwait
Tall Buildings in Kuwait Skyline
Abu Dhabi, UAE. The
Capital Gate rises in
160 m. and 35
storey's.
The Burj Dubai is the
tallest building in the
world (830 m.).
Proposed Burj Mubarak Al-Kabir
Madinat Al-Hareer (City of Silk)
Outline
In this talk we will show:

Examples of amplification of long period ground motion in
tall buildings that have been instrumented

How earthquakes of moderate magnitudes (MW 5-6) can
damage tall structures several hundred kilometers away

Seismicity around the Arabian Peninsula that could affect
the tall buildings

An example of instrumenting a tall building, the Earth
Sciences Building at MIT, and the response to ambient
motions and a small earthquake
AMPLIFICATION OF GROUND MOTIONS IN TALL BUILDING
Comparison the Observed Displacement in Transamerica Building (260 m) in San
Francisco, CA (Δ=97 km), (Mw 6.9)
Displacements computed from accelerations recorded during
the 1989 Loma Prieta (Mw 6.9), CA earthquake (USGS).
(a), Embarcadero Building and (b) Recorded displacements. (Shakal and
others, 1989).
Arabian Plate Motion
GPS Velocity Vectors in Middle East
Seismicity in Middle East
The 2011 Virginia earthquake : August 23, 2011, at
1:51 pm EDT (17:51 UTC), Mw=5.8
The 2011 Virginia earthquake : August 23, 2011, at 1:51 pm
EDT (17:51 UTC), Mw=5.8, (Δ=135 km)
135 km (84 miles) SW (217°) from Washington, DC.
(a) Building 54, the tallest building at MIT, instrumented for
monitoring. (b) Cross-section of the building.
Green Building Instrument Array
 Schematic showing
accelerometers deployed
throughout the various
floor levels of the building.
Ambient Noise Effect
Ambient acceleration data of 25 second duration remotely
recorded on demand from the roof of the building. Relative
torsional motions (red curve at bottom of each frame) are
indicated by the difference between two parallel channels
at the roof.
Relative amplitude spectra of (Top Frame) horizontal
motions and of torsion (curve at bottom) at the roof,
and (Bottom Frame) vertical motions in the four
corners of the basement.
Celebi, Toksoz and Buyukozturk, 2012.
Earthquake Spectra.
MAIN EARTHQUAKE
(2012-10-16 23:12:22 UTC)
Location and Magnitude (USGS)
Magnitude 4.0 Mw
Location
43.592°N, 70.676°W
Depth
6.6 km
Epicentral Distance from Boston=140 km
DISPLACEMENTS CALCULATED FROM OBSERVED ACCELERATION RECORDS
Δ=140 km
1
34
2
35
3
36
MIT Green
Building
GPS: For measurement of motion
On top of Green
Building
Reference
Conclusions:

There is a rapid growth of mega structures and tall buildings globally and
in the Gulf Region.

Seismic hazard to tall buildings comes from long-period, long-duration
surface waves.

Assessing the seismic hazard to tall buildings requires instrumentation of
the buildings and measured data.

Traditional design codes, such as the Uniform Building Code (UBC) or the
International Building Code (IBC), are not suitable for seismic design of
tall buildings. If anything, the codes “inhibit the innovation for the
design and analysis of the world’s tallest buildings” (Council on Tall
Buildings and Urban Habitat, 2008).

Ensuring seismic safety of tall building requires a paradigm shift in
seismic hazard assessment.
AMPLIFICATION OF GROUND MOTIONS IN TALL BUILDING
Comparison the Observed Displacement in Transamerica Building
(260 m) in San Francisco, CA
Displacements computed from accelerations recorded during
the 1989 Loma Prieta, CA earthquake (USGS).
THANK YOU