Evaluation of the seismic site characterization of Kovancilar (Elazig), Turkey

The effect of seismic waves on structures during an earthquake varies depending on local ground conditions. This study is dedicated to determining the seismic site characterization of Kovancılar district in the city of Elazığ, Turkey, whose location is close (5 km) to the East Anatolian Fault Zone (EAFZ), one of the most active fault zones all around globe. For this purpose, 1-D equivalent linear soil behavior analyzes were performed using 28 geotechnical drilling and 20 multi-channel surface wave (MASW) test data in the study area. The results of these analyses indicated the peak ground acceleration (PGA) values in Kovancılar ranged between 0.41 and 0.68 g, while high PGA values were observed in the region of alluvial soils in the south of the district. The acceleration spectra obtained from the analyses on three different locations were compared to the Turkish Building Seismic Regulation 2018 (TBSR 2018) and Eurocode 8 (EC-8 2004) design spectra. For some periods, the acceleration values in the site-specific spectra were observed to exceed the related values in the TBSR 2018 ZC and ZD design spectra. In addition, ground amplification, PGA, and spectral acceleration (Sa) maps with 0.2–1 s periods were created for the study area. With the evaluation of the obtained parameters, the north of the region was established to be more suitable for multi-story buildings, while the northeast, east, and southeast regions being more suitable for low-rise buildings.