A simple and intuitive procedure to identify pulse-like ground motions

Near-fault seismic ground motions are frequently characterized by intense velocity and displacement pulses of relatively long periods that clearly distinguish them from typical far-field ground motions. Intense velocity pulse motions can affect adversely the seismic performance of structures. In response to the realization of the importance of near-fault motions on structural performance, a number of studies have been directed to developing procedures for the identification of ground motions containing velocity pulses. The present paper reviews these studies briefly and presents a simple and efficient procedure to identify pulse-like ground motions based on a new parameter called “development length of velocity time history”. The procedure is applied to a representative series of records, and the results show positive efficiency to identify pulse-like ground motions at low computational cost.