Geotechnical Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Puerto Vallarta, México

Abstract

\n We performed a seismic vulnerability assessment that involves geotechnical and building structure analysis for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a city located along the pacific coast. Like many other Latin American cities, has significant seismic risk. We implemented the multi-channel analysis of surface waves and the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio methods to estimate shear wave velocity and soil resonance frequency. We considered standard penetration test to determine the penetration resistance and soil classification. We also defined building typologies based on construction materials and structural systems. The VS30 parameter shows that Puerto Vallarta has the three poorest soil classifications. The resonance frequency parameter shows four zones with different fundamental soil periods. We inferred the building s vulnerability from the coupling between the structural and soil fundamental period and the soil characteristics. The analysis shows several vulnerable buildings scatters within the city, e.g., within the tourist area, confined masonry buildings from one to five stories and moment resistance frame buildings up to 12 in the tourist area, poorly confined masonry houses of one to two stories, and confined masonry buildings of one to five stories in the residential/commercial. We present an approach that combines the academic and government to solve a real and transcendental problem since it might directly affect the regulation and structure evaluations in the area. We are sure that these exercises are of great interest in urban growth areas in other parts of the world, especially in Latin America, to achieve seismic risk mitigation.