NEHRP Clearinghouse
- Title
- California Building Strong Motion Earthquake Instrumentation Program.
- File
- PB288349.pdf
- Author(s)
- Rojahn, C.
- Source
- National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Applied Science and Research Applications., March 31, 1976, 22 p.
- Abstract
- In 1971 the State of California enacted a law establishing a statewide Strong Motion Instrumentation Program to assure the development of a scientifically sound distribution of strong-motion instruments throughout the state. The law stipulates that the instruments are to be located in representative geologic environments and representative structures throughout the state. During the first two years the program was in effect (1972-73), the instrumentation of ground or freefield sites was emphasized and all available funding was used to purchase and install strong-motion accelerographs for that purpose. In 1974, a large segment of available funding was channeled for use in instrumenting buildings, the second priority of the program. A set of detailed guidelines for selecting and instrumenting buildings was developed. Those guidelines, their background, and subsequent implementation are the subject of this paper. The network of instrumented buildings in existence prior to the development of the state program was not oriented to its objectives. The basic objectives for the building instrumentation phase of this program are reviewed. The established guidelines for the geographic distribution of instrumented buildings, for the selection of types and heights of buildings to be instrumented, and for the selection and placement of instruments in buildings, are discussed. It is estimated that as many as 400 buildings may be instrumented under the state program by the year 2035.
- Keywords
- Installation; California; Earth movements; California Strong Motion Instrumentation Program; Buildings; Earthquake engineering; Ground motion; Site surveys; CSMIP program; Guidelines; Recording instruments; Earthquakes; Geological faults