Influence of the 1992 Roermond earthquake, the Netherlands, on shallow foundations

Abstract

This paper considers the influence of the strong ground motion due to the Roermond earthquake on soil behavior and shallow foundations. As no local strong ground motion acceleration record was available, a synthetic record has been used. The procedure used to obtain this synthetic acceleration record is explained. The stratigraphy of the shallow subsoil is briefly described and results of a short literature review on densification of soils are presented. Finally, an estimate is made of the settlement of shallow foundations at one site (Maasniel area) in Roermond, due to the strong ground acceleration induced by the earthquake. From this estimate we conclude that shallow foundations, designed according to Dutch building codes, will generally not suffer excessive settlement values under earthquake loading comparable to that which occurred in Roermond on April 13,1992.