Volume 1 Issue 1: June 2022

A numerical procedure, based on an evolutionary optimization algorithm, has been proposed by the authors for the simultaneous generation of the three components of the seismic ground acceleration. The methodology allows the determination of a train of seismic waves modeled by three different waveforms, for the generation of ground seismic acceleration components. The parameters of each wave, i.e., amplitude, frequency, duration, arrival time and direction, are determined using an evolutionary optimization algorithm. Although no theoretical justification is known by the authors for the generation, at the seismic source, of specific initial waveforms, both in case of fracture or of sliding with friction, waveform acceleration components that satisfy the condition of zero final velocity should in principle be preferred. The latter is a physical restriction that is automatically satisfied by anti-symmetrical functions, thus eliminating the need to correct the baseline of simulated accelerograms. The error of fit of simulated accelerograms generated by three different waveforms proposed in the literature was herein determined by comparison with actual seismic records. On that basis, estimations of the expected error of the evolutionary optimization algorithm in engineering applications are presented.