Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published April 2006 | public
Conference Paper

Using Information Theory Concepts to Compare Alternative Intensity Measures for Representing Ground Motion Uncertainty

Abstract

The seismic risk assessment of a structure in performance-based design may be significantly affected by the representation of ground motion uncertainty. The uncertainty in the ground motion is commonly represented by adopting a parameter or a vector of parameters known as the intensity measure (IM). In this work, a new measure, called a sufficiency measure, is derived based on information theory concepts, to quantify the suitability of one IM relative to another in representing ground motion uncertainty. Based on this measure, alternative IM's can be compared in terms of the expected difference in information they provide about a designated structural response parameter. Several scalar IM's are compared in terms of the amount of information they provide about the seismic response of an existing reinforced-concrete frame structure.

Additional Information

Copyright© (2006) by Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. This work was supported in part by the Earthquake Engineering Research Centers Program of the National Science Foundation under Award Number EEC-9701568 through the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER). This support is gratefully acknowledged. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation. The first author also acknowledges the support from a George W. Housner Postdoctoral Fellowship in Civil Engineering from the California Institute of Technology.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 18, 2023