SCEC Award Number 14214 View PDF
Proposal Category Workshop Proposal
Proposal Title Ground Motion Simulation Validation (GMSV) Technical Activity Group (TAG) Workshops
Investigator(s)
Name Organization
Nicolas Luco United States Geological Survey Sanaz Rezaeian United States Geological Survey
Other Participants
SCEC Priorities 6e SCEC Groups EEII, GMP, CME
Report Due Date 10/07/2014 Date Report Submitted N/A
Project Abstract
 The SCEC Ground Motion Simulation Validation (GMSV) Technical Activity Group (TAG) focuses on developing and implementing, via collaboration between ground motion modelers and engineering users, testing/rating methodologies for the use of ground motion simulations in engineering applications. Via the two workshops funded by this award, the GSMV-related SCEC projects funded in 2014 were coordinated with each other, their 2012 and 2013 counterparts, the SCEC Software Environment for Integrated Seismic Modeling (SEISM) project, the SCEC Broadband Platform validation project, and the SCEC Committee for Utilization of Ground Motion Simulations (UGMS). It is important to note that each of the two workshops included participation from both ground motion modelers and engineering users. Building upon the 2012 and 2013 GMSV TAG projects, the first, small (invitational), virtual workshop (via web conferences in May-August 2014) resulted in coordination between the 2014 GMSV TAG projects and the other GMSV-related SCEC projects mentioned above. Broadly speaking, the 2014 projects are mostly focused on i) GMSV for engineering analysis using simple and robust ground motion parameters (e.g., elastic and inelastic spectral accelerations/displacements), ii) GMSV for building-code nonlinear response history analysis, and iii) GMSV for application of simulated ground motion to duration-sensitive geotechnical systems. The second, half-day workshop at the 2014 SCEC Annual Meeting presented the substantial progress made on these topics, and discussed plans for future GMSV TAG projects. This second workshop constituted the second session of a joint workshop with the SCEC Community Modeling Environment, which concluded with discussion of an integrated simulation and validation program.
Intellectual Merit The simulation of earthquake ground motions allows for physics-based interpolation/extrapolation of the relatively limited amount of available earthquake rupture and ground motion data. Validation of such models, the focus of the SCEC Ground Motion Simulation Validation (GSMV) Technical Activity Group (TAG), is both a fundamental challenge and a necessity for understanding the threat of earthquake ground motions.
Broader Impacts Through collaboration of earthquake scientists and engineers, the SCEC Ground Motion Simulation Validation (GMSV) Technical Activity Group (TAG) advances the use and understanding of simulated ground motions for engineering applications. Reciprocally, the GMSV TAG improves the science and products of ground motion simulation.
Exemplary Figure Slide 6 of the following presentation: http://collaborate.scec.org/gmsv_wiki/images/0805_Luco_Overview_of_Agenda.pdf

Unlike the Broadband Platform validation project, which focused on validation of ground motion simulations for their use in developing ground motion prediction equations for elastic spectral acceleration, the GMSV TAG efforts are mostly focused on i) GMSV for engineering analysis using simple and robust ground motion parameters (e.g., elastic and inelastic spectral accelerations/displacements), ii) GMSV for building-code nonlinear response history analysis, and iii) GMSV for application of simulated ground motion to duration-sensitive geotechnical systems.