Investigation of Displacement Spectrum Created in Different Parts of Canyon Using Three-Dimensional Boundary Element Method

Several earthquake experiences in the world have displayed that the amount of damage of structures with similar characteristics for a certain earthquake is strongly influenced by site conditions called site effects. These effects can cause nonuniform stimulation to crucial structures which are made on these sites. In this research, a three dimensional boundary element method, which is one of the most powerful numerical techniques for analyzing problems, was used. This method is important especially for the issues related to the wave propagation, and for the investigation of displacement spectrum in different parts of canyon under different parameters (angles and materials). The results of this paper indicated that the displacement spectrum for a canyon site depended on soil type and wave incident angle, and could have various values in different parts of the same site. Therefore, these effects must be considered in designing important structures such as dams.