Seismic ground response analysis at the site of San Felice Church in Poggio Picenze (L'Aquila, Italy)

When the seismic waves travel from the bedrock to the ground surface a seismic amplification can occur due to the local conditions at a specific site. Lithostratigraphic amplification is typically evaluated using deterministic analyses, which do not allow assessing the uncertainty associated with the computed ground motion due to the aleatory nature of soil model parameters and the variability of seismic input. The ground motion amplification at the site of San Felice church, a historical stone structure located at Poggio Picenze (L'Aquila, Italy), has been investigated using a fully stochastic-based procedure. The seismic geotechnical characterization of the site was based on field geological mapping and drilling and geophysical tests from previous investigation campaigns. The lithostratigraphic amplification effects at San Felice church site was assessed through 1D stochastic site response analyses using for the object motion 7 real records, consistent with the regional seismotectonic setting and compatible to the Italian code-based spectrum referred to 475-year return period. The results obtained from 1000 numerical simulations have been expressed in terms of mean elastic acceleration response spectrum and its associated uncertainty and acceleration time histories computed at the basement of San Felice church.