Objectives

IM-SURF advances beyond the earlier ANR MODULATE project with five main objectives:

Enhance the MODULATE strong-motion database with signals whose high-frequency content is fully described — most existing signals were discretised with time steps too large to preserve it — using stochastic or AI methods and by post-processing additional signals from recent earthquakes.
Investigate advanced numerical techniques for seismic wave propagation that carry the complete 3D wave regime from the geological scale to the geotechnical scale, including further development of the Domain Reduction Method and the H-matrix accelerated Boundary Element Method.
Extend the study of seismic response to massive, large-dimension structures — particularly large industrial buildings such as nuclear buildings — with realistic foundation geometry, capturing the significant rotational motions that Rayleigh waves can generate and that simplified models miss.
Assess mitigation methods that reduce the rotational components generated by surface waves, such as foundation retreat/treatment and periodic wave barriers, as alternatives to structural upgrading.
Define the validity domain of the conventional 1D approach, identifying the specific cases — by source characteristics, geological setup, geotechnical conditions and structural configuration — that require a rigorous 2D/3D approach to capture significant surface-wave effects, and enriching state-of-the-art engineering practice accordingly.