This webinar will provide an overview of developments in seismic hazard assessment in the Central and Eastern United States (CEUS), with a focus on their applicability to dam sites. The course will begin with a description of the available approaches, seismic source models, and ground motion models used to evaluate seismic hazard in the CEUS, and how these approaches, models, and the resulting ground motions differ from those in the Western United States (WUS). Illustrative examples will be provided to demonstrate the different options available for evaluating seismic hazard at a dam site in the CEUS, including the use of publicly available regional models and site-specific seismic hazard assessments. Available methods for accounting for local site effects will be presented, including developments in simplified site adjustment models and site-specific site response analysis. The webinar will conclude with a discussion of the different ways seismic hazard assessments are used in dam safety evaluations, ranging from a single evaluation level tied to a deterministic earthquake scenario to use of the entire ground motion hazard curve in a risk analysis.
Learning Objectives
1. Understand key differences between seismic hazard in the WUS and CEUS
2. Understand the options available for estimating seismic hazard in the CEUS ranging from the USGS unified seismic hazard tool to site-specific hazard analysis
3. Understand the methods available for accounting for local site effects ranging from simplified site adjustment factors to site-specific site response analysis
4. Review of how seismic hazard analyses are used in dam safety evaluations, i.e., selection of the deterministic "MCE,” selection of a single probabilistic return period, or use of the entire hazard curve in a risk analysis
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