GNGTS 2011

SESSIONE 2.2

EXTENSIVE AMBIENT VIBRATION SURVEY SUPPORTING A LEVEL 2 SEISMIC

MICROZONING OF AN URBAN AREA: THE CASE OF RIMINI
D. Albarello 1, C. Copioli 2, M. Filippini 3, E. Lunedei 1, L. Martelli 4, D. Pileggi 1, P. Severi 4
1
2
3
4

Universit degli Studi di Siena, Italy

Comune di Rimini, Italy
Provincia di Rimini, Italy
Regione Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Seismic microzoning represents a basic tool for the development of a correct prevention policy
devoted to seismic risk reduction. To make this statement effective, three elements are necessary.
The first one concerns the implementation of seismic microzoning in urban planning rules. To this
purpose, advanced legislative interventions implementing this tool were provided by a number of
regional administrations in Italy, that are going to be extended to the whole country also thanks to
the moral suasion exerted by the national Dept. of Civil Protection. The second element is the
definition of codified, up-to-date and scientifically well established experimental protocols and procedures that allows development of comparable microzoning maps. To this purpose, the Guidelines for Seismic Microzoning recently published in Italy by the National Conference of Regional
Administrations and Autonomous Provinces and the Dept. of Civil Protection represented an
important step towards and effective standardization of the field activities and map development.
The third point, not less important than the previous ones, is the possibility provide cheap procedures that makes seismic microzoning feasible also in the absence of large funding that is in most
cases unavailable for local administrations. To this purpose, the above cited guidelines suggests the
possibility that three levels of seismic microzonation can be achieved, each characterized by a different level of outcomes (qualitative and exploratory in the first level up to strictly quantitative and
very detailed in the third one) and costs. Anyway, in order to allow as many as possible local administrations to achieve at least a first or second level microzoning, the development of cheap experimental tools is mandatory. Ambient vibration measurements, both in the single station (HVSR
approach) and array (ESAC approach) configurations may provide such a tool. Despite of the fact
that these methodologies are exploratory in character, their extensive application where unevenly
distributed complementary data are available (good geologic mapping, drillings, active seismic surveys, etc.) may allow quite reliable and cost effective results. In this view, on behalf of the EmiliaRomagna Regional Administration and in strict cooperation with Rimini Provincial Administration
and Rimini Municipality, an extensive passive seismic survey was developed in the whole Rimini
urbanized area. The joint interpretation of ambient vibration measurements, geological reconstructions and borehole data, allowed the development of a level 2 seismic microzoning map of the
Town, where different seismic domains are clearly identified and characterized quantitatively in
terms of and integral amplification parameters (FA factor). The most critical aspects of this experience will be discussed along with possible limitations and advantages of the adopted procedures
and protocols.

BACKGROUND NOISE CHARACTERISATION AT THE NORTHEAST ITALY BROADBAND

SEISMIC NETWORK
C. Barnaba, M.P. Plasencia Linares
Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale - OGS, Trieste, Italy

The background noise is a limiting factor since it can mask seismic signal, especially in the lowfrequency band. It is well known that the reduction, quantification and understanding of seismic
background noise are the first step to provide high quality data. The importance of noise level reduction on seismic data is strongly linked to quantify the detection level of the network, that reflects
directly on the completeness magnitude of an area and indirectly on the calibration of attenuation
relations through regression analysis, which may be biased by non-triggering stations (McLaughlin,

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Fig. 1 - Northeast Italian stations map: blue and triangle down represents the short period FV network, black triangle
down represents the Trento network (TN), and red and blue square represents the broadband NI network.

1991; Bragato & Slejko, 2005). Here we present the background seismic noise analysis at the NorthEast Italy (NI) broadband seismic network, managed by Centro di Ricerche Sismologiche (CRS)
- Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS). At the present day, the network is composed of 14 broadband deployed on 25000 km2 wide area (Fig. 1).
All the stations are equipped with broadband and accelerometer sensors, telemetered and real
time acquisition is available. Real time continuous data exchange is available with the Antelope
software (BRTT, 2004), waveform and parametric data are transmitted in real time to the FriuliVenezia Giulia, Veneto and Trento Civil Defense agencies, to the Italian National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), to the Earth Science Department (DiGeo) of the Trieste UniverTab. 1 - Broadband stations list running in the NI network, MN network; Qxxxx stand for Quanterra; STS-x stand
for Streckeisen broadband sensor, Epi stand for Episensor.

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sity Italy, to the Austrian Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) in Vienna, and to the Environment Agency of the Republic of Slovenia (ARSO) in Ljubljana. To increase
the coverage of the western site of the area, the real time localization process takes advantage of the
Trento network stations (TN). Before the permanent settlement of all the NI Network installations,
the sites were selected and checked for about two months of continuous recordings using the Peterson analysis to discard the sites with high general noise levels. The result was the quietest sites were
those located into the caves and discarded military bunkers. Where it was not possible, shallow
boreholes (15 m) were dug. Locations, equipment and installation details of the all stations are summarized in Tab. 1. Further logistic settlement and improvements are still running on for some site
(CLUD and DRE). In addition the broadband sensors are covered with a polyurethane foam box or
sealed steel caps to protect them against fast changes in temperature and airflow.

Fig. 2 - Probability Density Functions (PDF) during 2011 for the HHZ channels of the broadband stations that
operate in the NI network. The gray lines represent the New High and Low Noise Model (Peterson, 1993) and the
black line plot indicate the highest probability power levels.

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Fig. 3 - Horizontal to Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) plots for broadband data using the Geopsy Software.

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Nowadays the OGS performs the quality control of broadband data through daily inspections of
the Probability Density Functions (PDF) plots (Fig. 2); they are generated using the continuous data
of the former day and all the 24 hours is considered. The data quality check is performed through
standard seismological tools: PQLX, (McNamara & Boaz, 2005), using Power Spectral Densities
(PSD) for frequencies ranging from 0.01 to 16 Hz. Systematical estimates for all broadband stations
and statistical analysis are computed to define the PDF (McNamara & Buland, 2004). The computed PSDs are stored in a MySQL database, allowing to access specific time periods of PSDs. Probability Density Functions provide a useful tool for characterizing the performance of broadband
stations and for detecting operational problems (instrumental troubleshooting, gaps, spikes etc.).
The principal application for a PDF measurement of physical data is to establish a probabilistic
description for the instantaneous values of the data (Bendat & Piersol, 1971). Statistical analysis
(mean, mode, median, PDFs) is performed in each station.
The noise level at all stations is included within the Peterson New Model limits (Peterson,
1993). In particular, we observed that the power limits (mode) at high frequency varies between 110 dB and -145 dB, while at low frequency varies between -150 db to -175 dB., and in general the
amplitude of the noise is higher and the dominant peak frequencies are shifted toward lower period
in wintertime, while in the summertime, the amplitude is lower with a maximum at shorter periods.
For periods longer than the primary micro seismic peak (12 sec), the horizontal components are
much noisier, due mainly to tilting effects associated with the physical installation settings (Bormann, 2002). The horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) has considered for all the stations.
The general shape of a HVSR can be considered a fingerprint of the local structure, and recently it
is consider a good site classification scheme based on the sites predominant period (Fukushima et
al., 2007). All the HVSR computations have been computed using the Geopsy Project Software
(2011) and they consist in the classical polarization analysis in the frequency domain, where the
polarization is defined as the ratio between the quadratic mean of the Fourier spectra of the horizontal components and the spectrum of the vertical component. The noise tests were performed
using 15 minutes long window of continuous data, removing eventually non-stationary parts (Fig.
3). Even though all the stations are set on rock, some topographic effect can be expected because of
the stations are settled in the mountains on crest and slopes. We consider also the HVSR rotation of
the horizontal components to point out the azimuthal dependency of the peak of the HVSR with
direction. All of the stations suffer a specific predominant directivity due to the topography of the
site, and it have to be taken into account in data processing (source inversion modelling, attenuation laws). Considering the HVSR diagrams, we can observe that, although all the site are set on
concrete rock, most of them exhibit site response. Some sites show well constrain peaks at specific
frequency band, some others have a diffuse amplification. Precise site classification with geotechnical information down to 30 meters deep are not existent for any site yet; however, it has been shown
that pure surface geological observations are very poor in assessing the real response of the sites
(e.g. Zar et al., 1999), and HVSR is a better method to give a site classification.

Acknowledgements. The management of the Seismometric Network of Friuli-Venezia Gulia is financially supported by the Civil Protection of the Regione Autonoma Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The seismometric Network of
Veneto is managed by the Centro di Ricerche Sismologiche (CRS) and owned by Regione Veneto. We are gratefully to Geopsy Project, General Mapping Tools (GMT) for the software free usage and to the technical staff
of the OGS Centro di Ricerche Sismologiche (CRS), in particular the STRU Group for its dedication in the
maintenance of the stations.

References

Bendat J. S. & A. G. Piersol [1971], Random data: analysis and measurements procedures, John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York,
407 pp.
Bormann, P. [2002], New Manual of Seismological Observatory Practice, GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Germany.
Bragato, P. L. and D. Slejko, [2005], Empirical ground-motion attenuation relations for the eastern Alps in the magnitude range
2.5-6.3, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., Vol.95, No. 1, pp. 252-276.
Fukushima, Y., L.F. Bonilla, O. Scotti, J. Douglas, [2007], Site classification using horizontal-to-vertical resoponse spectral ratios
and its impact when reriving empirical ground-motion prediction equations, J. Earthquake Engineering, 11:712-724.
McLaughlin K. L., J. G. [1991], Maximum likelihood estimation of strong motion attenuation relationships, Earthquake spectra,
Vol. 7, pp. 267-279.

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McNamara D. E. and R. P. Buland [2004], Ambient noise levels in continental United States, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., Vol. 94, No.
4, pp. 1517-1527.
McNamara D. E. and R. I. Boaz [2005], Seismic noise analysis using power spectral densities probability density function: A
stand-alone software package, U. S. Geol. Survey Open File Report, NO. 2005-1438, 30 p.
Peterson J. [1993], Observations and modeling of seismic of background seismic noise, U. S. Geol. Survey Open-file report 93322. Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Wessel, P., and W. H. F. Smith, 1998. New, improved version of the Generic Mapping Tools Released, EOS Trans. AGU, 79, 579.
Zar M., P. Y. Bard, M. Ghafory-Ashtiany [1999], Site characterizations for the Iranian strong motion network, Journal Soil
Dynamics Earthquake.

QUANTO IMPORTANTE LAMPLIFICAZIONE TOPOGRAFICA?

M. Bianca1, M.R. Gallipoli2, M. Mucciarelli1, R. Pagliuca1
1 Dip. Strutture, Geotecnica, Geologia Applicata -Universit della Basilicata, Potenza
2 IMAA-CNR, C.da S.ta Loja, TitoScalo (PZ)

Le Norme Tecniche per le Costruzioni introdotte nel 2008 (NTC08) hanno reso lItalia il primo
paese ad adottare un fattore di aggravio dellinput sismico di normativa dipendente dalla topografia in presenza di versanti inclinati e creste morfologiche.
Durante la sequenza sismica del 2009 in Abruzzo abbiamo avuto lopportunit di installare alcune stazioni accelerometriche in diverse localit interessate da peculiari tipologie di danneggiamento, allo scopo di definire il ruolo dellamplificazione sismica di sito nellincremento dei danni. Due

Fig. 1 - Sezione gelogica di Castelnuovo e Navelli con lubicazone delle due coppie di stazioni.

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