Validity of a Non-Stationary Inverse Analysis for Soil Properties Using Strong-Motion Records

Abstract

An inverse method for estimating the non-stationary variations of soil rigidity and damping from observed array records is presented. The method uses basically the “Complex envelope method” for the time histories of stress and strain obtained from observed motion records. In this paper, the validity of the method is first confirmed based on both theoretical and numerical analyses. The method is further applied to the array strong-motion records that were observed at three sites during the 1995 Hyogoken Nanbu Earthquake showing different features of non-linear responses. It is finally concluded that the present method is quite effective in inversely estimating the non-stationary variations ofsoil rigidity and damping in comparison to the results due to the PS logging profiles.