Effects of hanging wall and footwall on demand of structural input energy during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.

Systematic differences in the duration and frequency content of ground motions from the hanging wall and footwall during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake are investigated, focusing on the influence of these differences on structural input energy based on the elastic and inelastic energy responses of structures. A comparison of the input energy spectra between the hanging wall and the footwall reveal that the structural input energy on the hanging wall is not amplified due to the short duration and low peak ground velocity to acceleration ratio ( V/A). However, the larger demand of structural input energy on the footwall in the range of medium and long periods is observed and the demand increases up to 50% relative to the average level of structural input energy for rupture distances larger than 30 km. The importance of considering the footwall effect on structural input energy when comparing ground motions in the range of medium and long periods is recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]