This action is for support of a workshop planned for the San Francisco Bay area on November 9 and 10, 1989. The purpose of the workshop is to discuss procedures used to characterize the dynamic behavior of soil for seismic design and analysis. The workshop is being supported jointly with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The workshop will address two topics: (1) methods for estimating the dynamic properties of soil in situ, at levels of strain appropriate for use in earthquake design and analysis, and (2) methods for quantifying the spatial variability of these dynamic soil properties. The workshop participants are to be chosen for their knowledge and expertise in the areas of either (1) field and laboratory characterization of dynamic soil properties, or (2) use of field and laboratory properties in seismic modeling. The format for the workshop will include a series of state-of-the-technology presentations, focusing on procedures currently used in North America, Europe, and Asia to estimate dynamic soil properties in situ, including their spatial variability. A series of panel discussions will address specific issues related to dynamic property measurement and overall site characterization, and these will be presented at plenary sessions. The product of the workshop will be a document that identifies uncertainties and needs in the areas of dynamic soil property measurement and overall site characterization for seismic design and response analysis: it will also provide a guide to topics and priorities meriting special studies.
