Abstract

SCHMITZ, Michael  and  GRUPO DE TRABAJO DEL PROYECTO DE MICROZONIFICACION SISMICA DE CARACAS et al. Principal results and recommendations of the caracas seismic microzoning project. Rev. Fac. Ing. UCV [online]. 2011, vol.26, n.2, pp.113-128. ISSN 0798-4065.

Caracas has suffered during its history several destructive earthquakes, and the most recent one in 1967 with a magnitude of 6.6 caused the collapse of 4 buildings. By means of multidisciplinary studies, important site effects were evidenced in Caracas valley, pointing to the big sedimentary thickness as partially responsible for the damages. This situation motivated the development of Caracas Seismic Microzoning Project in the years 2005-2009. Broad geological, geotechnical and geophysical investigations were carried out to determine the distribution of the different geological units in the valley, including deep drillholes and subsequent earthquake engineering investigations. For slope areas earthquake-induced landslide hazard was estimated based on available geotechnical information and modern methods (Newmark’s method and Arias intensities) and calibrated experimentally. An up to date analysis of the seismic hazard in bedrock was used as an input for the determination of response spectra at different types of sites depending on the sediment thickness and the soil quality of the upper 30 m (Vs30). The results of the 1D dynamic analysis have been calibrated with spectra from real earthquakes, and compared to international codes; then, Caracas 2D-3D basin effects, as well as topographic ones, were considered. All the information is available in a Geographic Information System (GIS), which permits the implementation of the recommendations and the actualization of the information by local institutions.

Keywords : Caracas; Venezuela; Seismic microzoning; Response spectra; Landslide hazard.