Ambient Vibration Measurements in Representative Buildings in Kathmandu Valley Following the Gorkha Earthquake
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 32, Issue 3
Abstract
The horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio is a widely used technique to identify fundamental frequency and amplification by both structural and geotechnical engineers. Following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, ambient vibration measurement was conducted in central Kathmandu Valley considering representative building types. Well-designed high-rise reinforced concrete (RC), residential RC (poorly designed), brick masonry (cement mortar), medium-rise RC, and medium-rise precode RC buildings were chosen for ambient vibration measurement. As the first attempt to estimate the natural frequencies of buildings in Kathmandu Valley, ambient vibration records were taken at various heights of the buildings. Another aim of this study was to identify the possibility of vibration resonance in the existing building types; thus, free-field measurements were also taken during the building measurements.
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Acknowledgments
The author is grateful to the Architectural Institute of Japan’s J-Rapid team members for their contribution in field measurements. Prof. Yasushi Sanada, Prof. Koichi Kusunoki, Prof. Yo Hibino, Dr. Krishna Bhetwal, Dr. Yuebing Li, Ms. Haruka Katayama, and Mr. Sovit Shiwakoti are gratefully acknowledged. The associate editor and the three reviewers are thanked for their efforts in providing constructive comments.
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Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 32 • Issue 3 • June 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 19, 2016
Accepted: Dec 18, 2017
Published online: Apr 13, 2018
Published in print: Jun 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Sep 13, 2018
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