Apply of Explicit Finite Element in Seismic Ground Motion Computation

Yuzhu Bai, Xiwei Xu

Active Tectonics and Volcano Lab, Key Lab of China Earthquake Administration, Beijing, China.

DOI: 10.4236/jamp.2013.16003                

Abstract

In this paper, we will use the explicit finite element to compute ground motion due to Tangshan earthquake. The explicit finite-element method uses one integration point and an hourglass control scheme. We implement the coarse-grain method in a structured finite-element mesh straightforwardly. At the same time, we also apply the coarse-grain method to a widely used, slightly unstructured finite-element mesh, where unstructured finite elements are only used in the vertical velocity transition zones. By the finite-element methods, we can compute the ground velocity with some distance to the seismogenic fault in Tangshan earthquake. Through the computation, we can find the main character of ground motion for the strike slip earthquake events and the high frequency vibration motion of ground motion.

Keywords

Finite-Element Method; Fault; Ground Motion; Tangshan Earthquake

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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