Damage potential of the 1999 Athens, Greece, Accelerograms

Athens experienced a devastating earthquake on September 7, 1999, centred about 10km beneath the outskirts of the city, with peak accelerations in the meizoseismal area estimated above 0.5 g. While the magnitude of the earthquake was moderate (M _S = 5.9), damage and loss of life were extensive, numbering over 143 fatalities, 90 collapsed buildings, and over 100,000 rendered homeless. The most severe losses took place within 8 km of the fault, and peak rock accelerations in excess of 0.35 g were recorded 12 km from fault in downtown Athens. Local geologic effects played an important role, as demonstrated by concentrations of building damage on pockets of soft soil and near river canyons in the northwest part of the city. The earthquake was the first to severely damage Athens in over 2500 years. This study examines the engineering characteristics of 12 triaxial strong motion accelerograms recorded during the main shock. Properties investigated include peak ground acceleration and velocity, bracketed duration, Housner intensity, and response spectra. Spectral values at different orientations in the horizontal plane ("planar spectra") are computed to infer the interaction of source directivity effects and building period, on damage potential. The role of rupture directivity close to the fault is investigated by means of idealized triangular pulses. Inelastic effects are examined using ductility spectra and sliding block analyses. Evidence is presented that low-rise structures in the area may have higher strength and longer natural period than those anticipated by building codes. The implications of the damage potential calculations for earthquake hazard assessment in Eastern North America and Northern Europe are also addressed.