Seismic response of 2-D semi-sine shaped hills to vertically propagating incident waves; amplification patterns and engineering applications

This paper presents the most important results of an extensive numerical parametric study on seismic behavior of two-dimensional semi-sine shaped hills subjected to vertically propagating incident SV and P waves. The medium is assumed to have a linear elastic constitutive behavior. All calculations are executed in time-domain using the direct boundary element method. Clear perspectives of the amplification patterns of the hill are presented by investigation of the frequency-domain responses. It is shown that wave length, site geometry and in a less order of importance, wave type and material parameters, are the independent key parameters governing the hill's amplification pattern. Some preliminary simple equations and tables are presented which could be used as useful starting estimates to account for topography in seismic microzonation studies as well as seismic design of structures located on the hill.