Research Article

Simulation-based Local Site Amplification Factors for the city of Izmir

Volume: 17 Number: 3 October 18, 2026
EN TR

Simulation-based Local Site Amplification Factors for the city of Izmir

Abstract

The city of İzmir is exposed to significant seismic hazard from nearby shallow crustal faults and pronounced site effects associated with thick deposits of soft clay, silt, and loose sand, particularly within the Bornova Plain. Because the local site factors in the Turkish Building Earthquake Code (TBEC, 2019) were adopted from National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP. 2015), which was largely developed using western United States ground-motion data, this study develops simulation-based, region-specific site amplification factors for İzmir. A total of 42,504 one-dimensional site response analyses, comprising 21,252 nonlinear (NL) and 21,252 equivalent-linear (EL) simulations, were performed using 161 generic shear wave velocity (VS) profiles and 132 strong ground motions scaled for six earthquake scenarios. The profiles classified with respect to VS30-dependent (time-averaged VS at top 30 m) site classes were generated by randomizing base-case profiles derived from a newly developed shallow VS model for İzmir. Variability in depth to the VS = 760 m/s reference horizon was explicitly considered. Small-strain damping profiles were adjusted using the high-frequency spectral-decay parameter, κ0, to account for attenuation associated with wave scattering effects. Simulation-based short- and long-period amplification factors, FS and F1, respectively, were compared with TBEC (2019). For ZE (VS30 < 180 m/s) sites, the code factors generally encompass the simulated mean+1 standard deviation(σ) values, consistent with the conservatism embedded in NEHRP Class E factors. For ZC (360 m/s < VS30 < 760 m/s) and ZD sites (180 m/s < VS30 < 360 m/s), simulated FS values show improved agreement with TBEC, whereas F1 values generally remain lower, partly because the site natural periods are shorter than the period range used to derive F1. Region-specific mean and mean+1σ FS and F1 factors are tabulated as alternatives to TBEC (2019) for seismic design applications.

Keywords

References

  1. [1] H. B. Seed, M. P. Romo, J. I. Sun, A. Jaime, and J. Lysmer, “The Mexico earthquake of September 19, 1985—Relationships between soil conditions and earthquake ground motions,” Earthquake Spectra, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 687–729, Nov. 1988.
  2. [2] R. D. Borcherdt, “Estimates of site-dependent response spectra for design methodology and justification,” Earthquake Spectra, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 617–653, Nov. 1994.
  3. [3] Y. Choi and J. P. Stewart, “Nonlinear site amplification as function of 30 m shear wave velocity,” Earthquake Spectra, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 1–30, Feb. 2005. [4] M. D. Trifunac, “Site conditions and earthquake ground motion—A review,” Soil Dyn. Earthq. Eng., vol. 90, pp. 88–100, Nov. 2016.
  4. [5] G. Falcone, D. Boldini, and A. Amorosi, “Site response analysis of an urban area: A multi-dimensional and nonlinear approach,” Soil Dyn. Earthq. Eng., vol. 109, pp. 33–45, Jun. 2018.
  5. [6] O. Ilhan, O. Indır, G. Muratoğlu, A. İçen, K. Albayrak, M. A. Sandıkkaya, A. Askan, P. Arduino, and E. Taciroğlu, “Local site effects at the selected stations affected by the February 6 2023 Türkiye earthquake sequences,” Soil Dyn. Earthq. Eng., vol. 178, Art. no. 108454, Mar. 2024.
  6. [7] D. M. Boore, J. P. Stewart, E. Seyhan, and G. M. Atkinson, “NGA-West2 equations for predicting PGA, PGV, and 5%-damped PSA for shallow crustal earthquakes,” Earthquake Spectra, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 1057–1085, Aug. 2014.
  7. [8] E. Seyhan and J. P. Stewart, “Semi-empirical nonlinear site amplification from NGA-West2 data and simulations,” Earthquake Spectra, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 1241–1256, Aug. 2014.
  8. [9] Turkish Building Earthquake Code, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, Ankara, Türkiye, 2018, effective Jan. 1, 2019.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Earthquake Engineering, Civil Geotechnical Engineering

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

October 18, 2026

Submission Date

August 12, 2026

Acceptance Date

October 12, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 17 Number: 3

APA
İlhan, O. (2026). Simulation-based Local Site Amplification Factors for the city of Izmir. Dicle Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi Mühendislik Dergisi, 17(3). https://doi.org/10.24012/dumf.2016261
AMA
1.İlhan O. Simulation-based Local Site Amplification Factors for the city of Izmir. DUJE. 2026;17(3). doi:10.24012/dumf.2016261
Chicago
İlhan, Okan. 2026. “Simulation-Based Local Site Amplification Factors for the City of Izmir”. Dicle Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi Mühendislik Dergisi 17 (3). https://doi.org/10.24012/dumf.2016261.
EndNote
İlhan O (October 1, 2026) Simulation-based Local Site Amplification Factors for the city of Izmir. Dicle Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi Mühendislik Dergisi 17 3
IEEE
[1]O. İlhan, “Simulation-based Local Site Amplification Factors for the city of Izmir”, DUJE, vol. 17, no. 3, Oct. 2026, doi: 10.24012/dumf.2016261.
ISNAD
İlhan, Okan. “Simulation-Based Local Site Amplification Factors for the City of Izmir”. Dicle Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi Mühendislik Dergisi 17/3 (October 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.24012/dumf.2016261.
JAMA
1.İlhan O. Simulation-based Local Site Amplification Factors for the city of Izmir. DUJE. 2026;17. doi:10.24012/dumf.2016261.
MLA
İlhan, Okan. “Simulation-Based Local Site Amplification Factors for the City of Izmir”. Dicle Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi Mühendislik Dergisi, vol. 17, no. 3, Oct. 2026, doi:10.24012/dumf.2016261.
Vancouver
1.Okan İlhan. Simulation-based Local Site Amplification Factors for the city of Izmir. DUJE. 2026 Oct. 1;17(3). doi:10.24012/dumf.2016261