Non-stationary stochastic vector processes: seismic ground motion applications

A spectral-representation-based simulation algorithm is used in this paper to generate sample functions of a non-stationary, multi-variate stochastic process with evolutionary power, according to its prescribed non-stationary cross-spectral density matrix. If the components of the vector process correspond to different locations in space, then the process is also non-homogeneous in space (in addition to being non-stationary in time). The ensemble cross-correlation matrix of the generated sample functions is identical to the corresponding target. For the important application of earthquake ground motion simulation, an iterative scheme is introduced to generate seismic ground motion time histories at several locations on the ground surface that are compatible with prescribed response spectra, correlated according to a given coherence function, include the wave propagation effect, and have a specified duration of strong ground motion. Three examples involving simulation of earthquake ground motion are presented in order to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed methodologies. In the first two examples, acceleration time histories at three points on the ground surface are generated according to a prescribed cross-spectral density matrix, while in the third example, the acceleration time histories are generated to be compatible with prescribed response spectra.