Site characterization is a key input in seismic
hazard and risk assessment (e.g. Ground Motion
Prediction Equation, microzonation studies,
damage scenarios) and seismic design (building
codes, critical facilities). Although the number of
strong-motion stations in free-field and
engineering structures has largely increased over
the world in the last twenty years, only a limited
number of sites includes detailed site condition
indicators: mostly geology and EC8 soil class, more
rarely shear-wave velocity (Vs) information (e.g.
Vs30 and Vs profiles), without proper
documentation and quality assessment in most
cases. This lack of information is a critical issue,
e.g. for deriving reference rock/soil velocity
profiles for region-specific GMPEs, site-specific
hazard assessment, vs-kappa adjustments, seismic
response of engineering infrastructures, risk
modeling at urban or regional scale. Within the
framework of the SERA “Seismology and
Earthquake Engineering Research Infrastructure
Alliance for Europe” Horizon 2020 Project, a
networking activity has been set up to propose a
comprehensive European strategy and standards
fostering site characterization of seismic stations
in Europe. We will present the status of this
networking activity that focuses on several issues.
The first target is to evaluate the most relevant
site characterization scalar, depth and frequencydependant
indicators (e.g. Vs30, resonance
period, velocity profiles, kappa, amplification
factors and functions, etc.) for seismic hazard
purposes and, thereafter, to propose best practice
for site characterization together with standards
for overall quality metrics on site characterization.
The second target focuses on disseminating,
within the broader seismological and engineering
community, site characterization metadata
developed within the EU NERA and EPOS-IP
projects in order to validate and/or further
develop metadata format schemes for wide use.
Based on available site characterization
information in Europe and considering the
research and engineering needs, the third target
proposes to set up a road map to prioritize strong
motion site characterization in Europe for the next
decade. Finally, a task is dedicated to investigate
relevance of new site condition and amplification
proxies (for example combining resonance
frequency, local slope and other parameters,
proxy for non-linear effects, wavelength-scaled
curvature and topographic position index position
as proxies for topographic effects, aggravation
factor for basin effects, etc.) and their
implementation at the European scale and into
site characterization metadata.PublishedLa Valletta-Malta5T. Sismologia, geofisica e geologia per l'ingegneria sismic
