Advanced Earthquake Monitoring System for 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 

Buildings—Instrumentation

By Erol Kalkan, Krishna Banga, Hasan S. Ulusoy, Jon Peter B. Fletcher, 

William S. Leith, Shahneam Reza, and Timothy Cheng

Open-File Report 2012–1241

U.S. Department of the Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

KEN SALAZAR, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Marcia K. McNutt, Director 

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2012

For product and ordering information: 

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its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: 

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Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS

Suggested citation: 

Kalkan, E., Banga, K., Ulusoy, H.S., Fletcher, J.P.B, Leith, W.S., Reza, S., and Cheng, T., 

2012, Advanced earthquake monitoring system for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 

medical buildings—instrumentation: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012–1241, 

143 p. 

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply 

endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual 

copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report.
iii

Contents

Abstract .............................................................................................................................................1

Introduction .......................................................................................................................................1

Selection of Hospital Buildings for Advanced Earthquake Monitoring ...............................................2

Instrumentation Objectives................................................................................................................3

Earthquake Monitoring Hardware and Installation.............................................................................5

VA MEDICAL BUILDINGS................................................................................................................7

NSMP Station 8045—Anchorage, Alaska: New Hospital, Building No. B100....................................7

Building Description.......................................................................................................................7

Seismic-Hazard Conditions ...........................................................................................................9

Instrumentation..............................................................................................................................9

NSMP Station 1868—Palo Alto, California: Outpatient Clinic, Building No. 100 .............................11

Building Description.....................................................................................................................11

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................11

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................13

NSMP Station 1869—Palo Alto, California: Outpatient Clinic, Building No. 101 .............................17

Building Description.....................................................................................................................17

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................20

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................20

NSMP Station 1870—Menlo Park, California: Center Core Building, Building No. 334...................22

Building Description.....................................................................................................................22

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................24

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................24

NSMP Station 1226—Livermore, California: Medical, Surgical and Neurological (MS and N), 

Building No. 62........................................................................................................................26

Building Description.....................................................................................................................26

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................27

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................27

NSMP Station 1875—San Francisco, California: Ambulance Care/Clinical Support Building, 

Building No. 200......................................................................................................................30

Building Description.....................................................................................................................30

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions ...........................................................................................31

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................31

NSMP Station 5483—Los Angeles, California: Outpatient Clinic, Building No. 1 ............................34

Building Description.....................................................................................................................34

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................35

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................35

NSMP Station 5478—Sepulveda, California: Outpatient Clinical Care, Building No. 10 .................38

Building Description.....................................................................................................................38

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................40

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................40

NSMP Station 5082—West Los Angeles, California: Main Hospital, Building No. 500....................42

Building Description.....................................................................................................................42

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions ...........................................................................................43

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................43

NSMP Station 5485—West Los Angeles, California: Research Lab., Building No. 114..................47
iv

Building Description.....................................................................................................................47

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................47

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................47

NSMP Station 5105—San Diego, California: Main Hospital, Building No. 1....................................50

Building Description.....................................................................................................................50

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions ...........................................................................................51

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................51

NSMP Station 7415—Marion, Illinois: Main Hospital, Building No. 1...............................................55

Building Description.....................................................................................................................55

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................57

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................57

NSMP Station 7402—Poplar Bluff, Missouri: Medical Nursing PCC, Building No. 1 .......................60

Building Description.....................................................................................................................60

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................60

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................60

NSMP Station 7235—Fort Harrison, Montana: Main Hospital, Building No. 154.............................64

Building Description.....................................................................................................................64

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions ...........................................................................................67

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................68

NSMP Station 2028—Reno, Nevada: New Bed Building/Clinic, Building No. 12 ............................71

Building Description.....................................................................................................................71

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................73

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................73

NSMP Station 3096—San Juan, Puerto Rico: Nursing, Building No. 10.........................................76

Building Description .....................................................................................................................76

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................78

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................78

NSMP Station 3095—San Juan, Puerto Rico: New Bed Tower, Building No. B30 .........................80

Building Description.....................................................................................................................80

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................81

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................81

NSMP Station 7413—Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Main Hospital, Building No. 1............................83

Building Description.....................................................................................................................83

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................85

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................86

NSMP Station 7057—Roseburg, Oregon: Main Hospital, Building No. 1........................................90

Building Description.....................................................................................................................90

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions ...........................................................................................90

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................90

NSMP Station 7059—White City, Oregon: Primary Care Clinic, Building No. 201 ..........................97

Building Description.....................................................................................................................97

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .........................................................................................................98

Instrumentation............................................................................................................................99

NSMP Station 2191—Portland, Oregon: Main Hospital, Building No. 100 ....................................101

Building Description...................................................................................................................101

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions .........................................................................................101

Instrumentations........................................................................................................................101
v

NSMP Station 2561—Charleston, South Carolina: Main Hospital, Building No. 1 ........................105

Building Description...................................................................................................................105

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .......................................................................................................106

Instrumentation..........................................................................................................................106

NSMP Station 7411—Memphis, Tennessee: Spinal-Chord Injury, Building No. 7 ........................110

Building Description...................................................................................................................110

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .......................................................................................................111

Instrumentation..........................................................................................................................112

NSMP Station 7410—Memphis, Tennessee: Bed Tower, Building No. 1A...................................115

Building Description...................................................................................................................115

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .......................................................................................................117

Instrumentation..........................................................................................................................117

NSMP Station 7237—Salt Lake City, Utah: Main Hospital, Building No. 14..................................121

Building Description...................................................................................................................121

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions .........................................................................................121

Instrumentation..........................................................................................................................121

NSMP Station 7600—Richmond, Virginia: Main Hospital, Building No. 500 ................................. 125

Building Description...................................................................................................................125

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions .........................................................................................125

Instrumentation..........................................................................................................................126

NSMP Station 2129—Seattle, Washington: Main Hospital Diagnosis and Treatment Wing, 

Building No. 100....................................................................................................................129

Building Description...................................................................................................................129

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions .........................................................................................131

Instrumentation..........................................................................................................................131

NSMP Station 7061—Vancouver, Washington: Barnes Rehabilitation Building, Building No. 

11..........................................................................................................................................133

Building Description...................................................................................................................133

Seismic-Hazard Conditions .......................................................................................................135

Instrumentation..........................................................................................................................135

Acknowledgments.........................................................................................................................137

References Cited ..........................................................................................................................137

Appendix A: Hardware for Earthquake Monitoring ........................................................................138

Motion Sensors .........................................................................................................................138

Recorders..................................................................................................................................138

Cables .......................................................................................................................................140

Appendix B: Free-Field and Reference Stations ...........................................................................141

Tables

1. List of Veterans Affairs hospitals identified for use of an advanced earthquake monitoring 

system. .....................................................................................................................................6

Figures

1. During the San Fernando, California, earthquake in February 1971, buildings 1 and 2 

(older unreinforced masonry structures) of the Veterans Hospital collapsed and killed 49 

people.......................................................................................................................................2
vi

2. Seismic hazard map of the conterminous United States, Alaska, and Puerto Rico,. ................3

3. Photograph of a typical free-field station in West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical 

Center, California......................................................................................................................5

4. Photograph of Building B100, Anchorage Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Alaska (areal 

view). ........................................................................................................................................7

5. Photograph of Building B100, Anchorage Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Alaska 

(looking north)...........................................................................................................................8

6. Photograph of Building B100, Anchorage Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Alaska 

(looking northeast). ...................................................................................................................8

7. Photograph of steel braces providing additional lateral stiffness in Building B100, 

Anchorage Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Alaska. ...............................................................9

8. Diagram of sensor layout showing 21 sensors in Building B100 of the Anchorage 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Alaska.................................................................................10

9. Photograph of Building 100, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (front 

view). ......................................................................................................................................11

10. Photograph of Building 100, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (side 

view). ......................................................................................................................................12

11. Photograph of Building 100, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 

(looking southwest).................................................................................................................12

12. Photograph of Building 100, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 

(looking northwest)..................................................................................................................13

13. Diagram of sensor layout showing a total of 24 sensors in Building 100 of the Palo Alto 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 14). ............................15

14. Sensor layout showing a total of 24 sensors in Building 100 of the Palo Alto Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, California (page 2 of 2; see also fig. 13). ...........................................16

15. Photograph of Building 101, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 

(looking east). .........................................................................................................................17

16. Photograph of Building 101, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 

(looking northeast). .................................................................................................................18

17. Photograph of Building 101, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 

(looking southwest).................................................................................................................18

18. Photograph of Building 101, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 

(looking east). .........................................................................................................................19

19. Photograph showing 4-story high connecting structure between Building 100 and 

Building 101 Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California.........................................19

20. Diagram of sensor layout showing a total of 12 sensors in Building 101, Palo Alto 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California. ...........................................................................21

21. Photograph of Building 334, Menlo Park Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 

(front view). .............................................................................................................................22

22. Photograph of Building 334, Menlo Park Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 

(looking west)..........................................................................................................................23

23. Photograph of Building 334, Menlo Park Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 

(looking north).........................................................................................................................23

24. Diagram of sensor layout showing a total of 24 sensors in Building 334, Menlo Park 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California. ...........................................................................25

25. Photograph of Building 62, Livermore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (front 

view). ......................................................................................................................................26
vii

26. Photograph of Building 62, Livermore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (back 

side of the building looking north). ..........................................................................................27

27. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in of Building 62, Livermore Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, California (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 28). ...........................................28

28. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in of Building 62, Livermore Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, California (page 2 of 2; see also fig. 27). ...........................................29

29. Photograph of free-field station (NSMP Station No. 1874) at Livermore Veterans Affairs 

Medical Center, California.......................................................................................................30

30. Photograph of Building 200, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California........31

31. Diagram of sensor layout showing 16 sensors in the Building 200 of the San Francisco 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California. ...........................................................................33

32. Photograph of Building 1, Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (side 

view). ......................................................................................................................................34

33. Photograph of Building 1, Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 

(looking east; back side view). ................................................................................................35

34. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 1, Los Angeles Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, California (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 35). ...........................................36

35. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 1, Los Angeles Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, California (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 35). ...........................................37

36. Photograph of Building 10, Sepulveda Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (front 

view). ......................................................................................................................................38

37. Photograph of Building 10, Sepulveda Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 

(looking north).........................................................................................................................39

38. Photograph of Building 10, Sepulveda Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (side 

view). ......................................................................................................................................39

39. Photograph of Building 10, Sepulveda Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (side 

view). ......................................................................................................................................40

40. Diagram of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 10 of the Sepulveda Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, California............................................................................................41

41. Photograph of Building 500, West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 

California (side view)...............................................................................................................42

42. Photograph of Building 500, West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 

California (looking northwest).................................................................................................. 43

43. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 500 of the West Los Angeles 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 44). ............................45

44. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 500 of the West Los Angeles 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 2 of 2; see also fig. 43). ............................46

45. Photograph of Building 114, West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 

California.................................................................................................................................47

46. Photograph of Building 114, West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 

California (looking southeast).................................................................................................. 48

47. Diagram of sensor layout showing 10 sensors in Building 114 of the West Los Angeles 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California. ...........................................................................49

48. Photograph of Building 1, San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (front 

view). ......................................................................................................................................51

49. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 60 sensors in Building 1 of the San Diego Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, California (page 1 of 3; see also figs. 50 and 51)...............................52
viii

50. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 60 sensors in Building 1 of the San Diego Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, California (page 2 of 3; see also figs. 49 and 51)...............................53

51. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 60 sensors in Building 1 of the San Diego Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, California (page 3 of 3; see also figs. 49 and 50)...............................54

52. Photograph of Building 1, Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Illinois (front view)..........55

53. Photograph of Building 1, Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Illinois (looking 

southwest)...............................................................................................................................56

54. Photograph of free-field site at the Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Illinois...............56

55. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 48 sensors in Building 1 of the Marion Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Illinois (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 56)..................................................58

56. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 48 sensors in Building 1 of the Marion Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Illinois (page 2 of 2; see also fig. 55)..................................................59

57. Photograph of Building 1, Poplar Bluff Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Missouri..................60

58. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 48 sensors in Building 1 of the Poplar Bluff Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Missouri (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 59). .............................................62

59. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 48 sensors in Building 1 of the Poplar Bluff Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Missouri (page 2 of 2; see also fig. 58). .............................................63

60. Photograph of Building 154, Fort Harrison Veterans affairs Medical Center, Montana. ..........65

61. Photograph of Building 154, Fort Harrison Veterans affairs Medical Center, Montana 

(looking northwest; front view). ...............................................................................................65

62. Photograph of Building 154, Fort Harrison Veterans affairs Medical Center, Montana 

(looking south). .......................................................................................................................66

63. Photograph of Building 154, Fort Harrison Veterans affairs Medical Center, Montana 

(looking west)..........................................................................................................................66

64. Photograph of Building 154, Fort Harrison Veterans affairs Medical Center, Montana 

(looking southeast)..................................................................................................................67

65. Photograph of Building 154, Fort Harrison Veterans affairs Medical Center, Montana 

(looking northwest)..................................................................................................................67

66. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 154 of the Fort Harrison 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Montana (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 67). .............................69

67. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 154 of the Fort Harrison 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Montana (page 2 of 2; see also fig. 66). .............................70

68. Photograph of Building 12, Reno Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nevada (front view)........71

69. Photograph of Building 12, Reno Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nevada (looking 

northeast)................................................................................................................................72

70. Photograph of Building 12, Reno Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nevada (looking 

northwest). ..............................................................................................................................72

71. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 36 sensors in Building 12 of the Reno Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Nevada (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 72). ..............................................74

72. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 36 sensors in Building 12 of the Reno Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Nevada (page 2 of 2; see also fig. 71). ..............................................75

73. Photograph of Building 10, San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto 

Rico (side view).......................................................................................................................76

74. Photograph of Building 10, San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto 

Rico (front view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph by NSMP). ..........................................77

75. Photograph of Building 10, San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto 

Rico (back side view). .............................................................................................................77
ix

76. Diagram of sensor layout showing 12 sensors in Building 10 of the Photograph of 

Building 10, San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto Rico....................79

77. Photograph of Building 30, San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto 

Rico (front view)......................................................................................................................80

78. Photograph of Building 30, San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto 

Rico (side view).......................................................................................................................81

79. Diagram of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building B30 of the San Juan 

Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto Rico. ......................................................82

80. Photograph of the Building 1, Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma 

(back side view). .....................................................................................................................83

81. Photograph of the Building 1, Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma 

(front view). .............................................................................................................................84

82. Photograph of the Building 1, Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma 

(entrance). ..............................................................................................................................84

83. Photograph of the Building 1, Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma 

(east side view).......................................................................................................................85

84. Photograph of the Building 1, Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma 

(west side view). .....................................................................................................................85

85. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 96 sensors in Building 1 of the Oklahoma City 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma (page 1 of 3; see also figs. 86 and 87). .............87

86. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 96 sensors in Building 1 of the Oklahoma City 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma (page 2 of 3; see also figs. 86 and 87). .............88

87. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 96 sensors in Building 1 of the Oklahoma City 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma (page 3 of 3; see also figs. 85 and 86). .............89

88. Photograph of Building 1, Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (front 

view). ......................................................................................................................................91

89. Photograph of Building 1, Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (looking 

west). ......................................................................................................................................92

90. Photograph of typical floor slab, viewed from below, in Building 1, Roseburg Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Oregon...............................................................................................92

91. Photograph of roof framing in Building 1, Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 

Oregon....................................................................................................................................93

92. Photograph of Building 1, Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (looking 

north). .....................................................................................................................................93

93. Photograph of reference station to measure ground shaking on Roseburg Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Oregon, away from Building 1............................................................94

94. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 36 sensors in Building 1 of the Roseburg Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Oregon, (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 95)...............................................95

95. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 36 sensors in Building 1 of the Roseburg Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Oregon, (page 2 of 2; see also fig. 94)...............................................96

96. Photograph of Building 201, White City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (front 

view). ......................................................................................................................................97

97. Photograph of Building 201, White City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (looking 

northeast)................................................................................................................................98

98. Photograph of Building 201, White City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (looking 

east)........................................................................................................................................98
x

99. Diagram of sensor layout showing 11 sensors in Building 201 of the White City Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Oregon.............................................................................................100

100. Photograph of Building 100, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (back 

side view)..............................................................................................................................102

101. Photographs of Building 100, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (side 

views)....................................................................................................................................103

102. Diagram of sensor layout showing 39 sensors in Building 100 of the Portland Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Oregon.............................................................................................104

103. Photograph of Building 1, Charleston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, South Carolina 

(front view). ...........................................................................................................................105

104. Photograph of Building 1, Charleston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, South Carolina 

(back side view). ...................................................................................................................106

105. Photograph of Building 1, Charleston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, South Carolina 

(side view).............................................................................................................................106

106. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 48 sensors in Building 1 of the Charleston Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, South Carolina (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 107)................................108

107. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 48 sensors in Building 1 of the Charleston Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, South Carolina (page 2 of 2; see also fig. 106)................................109

108. Photograph of Building 7, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee 

(entrance). ............................................................................................................................110

109. Photograph of Building 7, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (looking 

northwest). ............................................................................................................................111

110. Photograph of Building 7, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (looking 

west). ....................................................................................................................................111

111. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 12 sensors in Building 7 of the Memphis Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 112)......................................113

112. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 12 sensors in Building 7 of the Memphis Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (page 2 of 2; see also fig. 111)......................................114

113. Photograph of Building 1A, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee.............115

114. Photograph of Building 1A, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee

(looking north).......................................................................................................................116

115. Photograph of Building 1A, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee 

(looking southeast)................................................................................................................116

116. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 1A of the Memphis Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (page 1 of 3; see also figs. 117 and 118). .....................118

117. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 1A of the Memphis Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (page 2 of 3; see also figs. 116 and 118). .....................119

118. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 1A of the Memphis Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (page 3 of 3; see also figs. 116 and 117). .....................120

119. Photograph of Building 14, Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Utah................121

120. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 14 of the Salt Lake City 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Utah (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 120).................................123

121. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 14 of the Salt Lake City 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Utah (page 2 of 2; see also fig. 120).................................124

122. Photograph of Building 1, Richmond Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Virginia. ..................125

123. Diagram of the sensor layout showing 36 sensors in Building 500 of the Richmond 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Virginia (page 1 of 2; see also fig. 124). ...........................127
xi

124. Diagram of the sensor layout showing 36 sensors in Building 500 of the Richmond 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Virginia (page 2 of 2; see also fig. 123). ...........................128

125. Photograph of Building 100, Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington..............130

126. Photograph of Building 100, Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington (back 

side view)..............................................................................................................................130

127. Diagram of sensor layout showing 27 sensors in Building 100 of the Seattle Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Washington......................................................................................132

128. Photograph of Building 11, Vancouver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington 

(entrance). ............................................................................................................................133

129. Photograph of Building 11, Vancouver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington 

(looking west)........................................................................................................................134

130. Photograph of Building 11, Vancouver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington 

(looking east). .......................................................................................................................134

131. Diagram of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 11 of the Vancouver Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center, Washington......................................................................................136

132. Photograph of uniaxial force-balance accelerometers installed on a mounting plate. ...........138

133. Photograph of 24-bit digital Internet Protocol (IP)-based recorder with batteries and 

charger installed within a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) cabinet. ...139

134. Photograph of Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna installed at the roof level of a 

medical building for absolute timing......................................................................................140

135. Photographs of custom-made U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cable used for connecting 

accelerometers to recorders. ................................................................................................141

136. Photograph of a typical free-field station where a triaxial accelerometer and a recorder 

are installed to measure ground motion at Veterans Affairs medical centers away from 

structures that are being seismically monitored. ...................................................................142

137. Photograph of a typical reference station where a triaxial accelerometer and a recorder 

are installed to measure ground motion at Veterans Affairs medical centers away from 

structures that are being seismically monitored. ...................................................................142

138. Foundation details for free-field ground-motion recording stations. ......................................143
Advanced Earthquake Monitoring System for 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 

Buildings—Instrumentation 

By Erol Kalkan1, Krishna Banga2, Hasan S. Ulusoy3, Jon Peter B. Fletcher1, 

William S. Leith4, Shahneam Reza1, and Timothy Cheng1 

Abstract

In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the National Strong 

Motion Project (NSMP; http://nsmp.wr.usgs.gov/) of the U.S. Geological Survey has been 

installing sophisticated seismic systems that will monitor the structural integrity of 28 VA 

hospital buildings located in seismically active regions of the conterminous United States, 

Alaska, and Puerto Rico during earthquake shaking. These advanced monitoring systems, which 

combine the use of sensitive accelerometers and real-time computer calculations, are designed to 

determine the structural health of each hospital building rapidly after an event, helping the VA to 

ensure the safety of patients and staff. This report presents the instrumentation component of this

project by providing details of each hospital building, including a summary of its structural, 

geotechnical, and seismic hazard information, as well as instrumentation objectives and design. 

The structural-health monitoring component of the project, including data retrieval and 

processing, damage detection and localization, automated alerting system, and finally data 

dissemination, will be presented in a separate report. 

Introduction

The 1971 magnitude 6.6 San Fernando Earthquake in Southern California resulted in 

collapse of several hospital buildings, including the older unreinforced masonry buildings at the 

San Fernando VA medical center (fig. 1). Following this earthquake, the VA established its 

Seismic Vulnerability Assessment Program to identify and strengthen VA medical facilities that 

needed to be brought up to acceptable seismic safety standards. An important component of this 

program is monitoring earthquake shaking in hospital buildings. Shortly after the 1971 

earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collaborated with the VA on installing analog 

accelerographs in 60 VA hospital buildings across the country. These accelerographs were 

mostly placed on the base level of the buildings to record input ground motion to the building. 

Because these instruments recorded data on photographic film, it often took many days or even 

weeks after an earthquake to process and analyze the records. Later, in 2003, 45 of these seismic 

 

1 U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 2 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C.

3 Menlo Park, California

4 U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia
2

monitoring instruments were replaced by modern digital systems. Since 2008, 22 VA medical 

centers have been instrumented with sophisticated arrays of seismic motion sensors to better 

understand their response to strong ground shaking during earthquakes—instrumentation of six 

more hospital buildings is currently underway. Today, the USGS National Strong Motion Project 

(NSMP) works closely with the VA to monitor earthquake shaking in more than 70 of their 

medical centers5 in earthquake-prone regions across the conterminous United States, in Alaska, 

and in Puerto Rico. These monitored structures are part of a larger network of more than 250 

structures instrumented under the USGS Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS), which is 

modernizing and expanding earthquake monitoring around the Nation to improve the overall 

understanding of earthquakes and their effects on the built environment. Data recorded by these 

instruments will enable improvement of building design to create more resilient and safer 

structures that can better protect people and resources.

Figure 1. During the San Fernando, California, earthquake in February 1971, buildings 1 and 2 (older 

unreinforced masonry structures) of the Veterans Hospital collapsed and killed 49 people (U.S. 

Geological Survey Photographic Library: ID. Kachadoorian, R. 57ct). 

Selection of Hospital Buildings for Advanced Earthquake Monitoring

An important goal of VA hospitals is to be able to continue to operate and to serve the 

patient community after a major earthquake. However, a building itself may have been damaged 

and, consequently, may pose a hazard to patients and staff. It is critical that hospital management 

have the tools and information necessary to make a rapid decision about whether to evacuate or 

not. Early assessment of the integrity of the hospital buildings affected by the earthquake is 

valuable in this decision making process. For resilience and sustainability of the Nation’s 

hospitals, it is also necessary to assess the structural condition periodically to facilitate necessary 

repairs and retrofit measures.

 

5 Locations of Veterans Affairs medical centers with instrumentation can be found at 

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/monitoring/buildings/. 
3

In response to these needs, the VA Seismic Vulnerability Assessment Program, together 

with the USGS NSMP, created a new initiative in 2008 to develop an advanced earthquake 

monitoring system for VA medical centers. This advanced system has two components—(1) 

instrumentation and (2) structural-health monitoring (SHM). The instrumentation component 

comprises a dense array of motion sensors, installed permanently at each and every floor of a 

building, and rapid data transmission and acquisition system. The SHM component consists of 

several data processing modules integrated into an open-source software package (OpenSHM)

that automatically analyses a large amount of measured data to extract useful information for 

assessing the condition of a building before and after an earthquake (Kalkan and others 2012a,b; 

Ulusoy and others, 2012). Twenty-eight hospital buildings located in earthquake-prone regions 

across the country were identified by VA for advanced real-time structural-health monitoring 

with sophisticated systems of multiple seismic motion sensors and an on-site data analysis 

server. table 1 lists these 28 hospital buildings, and figure 2 shows their locations on the seismic 

hazard map of the United States. As shown, most of these medical buildings are located in very 

high and high seismic-hazard regions. These hospital buildings either did not have any 

instrumentation before or had only a seismic instrument at their base level. 

Figure 2. Seismic hazard map of the conterminous United States, Alaska, and Puerto Rico, showing the 

locations of 28 Veterans Affairs medical centers (black dots); “x” sign indicates multiple hospital

buildings on campus for instrumentation; the seismic hazard map can be found at 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3018/. Colors on this map show the levels of horizontal ground shaking 

that have a 2-in-100 chance of being exceeded in a 50-year period. Shaking is expressed as a 

percentage of g (g is the acceleration of a falling object due to gravity).

Instrumentation Objectives

The number of sensors deployed in each medical building varies, depending on the floor 

area, the number of stories, and the number of blocks (or wings). For instance, the 

instrumentation design for the main hospital building at the VA medical center in San Diego, 

California, has 60 sensors (fig. 51). Locations for these sensors are strategically selected to be 
4

where the maximum response is expected, mostly at the edges of floors. Every story in each 

instrumented building has at least three seismic motion sensors oriented horizontally in two 

orthogonal directions to detect building motion along the reference east-west and north-south 

directions. Floor rotation (torsion) about the vertical axis can be computed from the recordings of 

sensors pointing in the same direction but located at different places on the same floor with an 

assumption of a rigid-floor diaphragm. Each building also has a triaxial sensor located on the 

ground floor, which records the input motions in three orthogonal directions (two horizontal and 

one vertical) at this level. Additional vertically oriented sensors at the same floor level allow the 

building’s rocking motions to be computed. Vertical wave propagation can also be studied by 

using vertical sensors at the base and roof level of select hospital buildings. The instrumentation 

in the hospital buildings is sensitive enough to record a building’s earthquake response due to 

small local earthquakes as well as to ambient vibrations.

The instrumentation within each medical building is designed to obtain: 

• Health status of the building via system identification for rapid structural condition 

assessment,

• Swaying and twisting of the building,

• Inter-story drift at each floor level,

• Amount of time it takes for seismic waves to travel from the foundation to the roof, and 

• How the frame of the building changed during the earthquake. 

Other seismic motion sensors located away from the building record free-field ground 

shaking. These free-field or reference stations are generally located at twice the height of the 

nearest structure to eliminate structural interference to recorded data. A typical free-field station 

is shown in figure 3 for the West Los Angeles VA medical center, located roughly 660 feet (ft) 

away from the main hospital building. Motions recorded at the free-field site and at ground level 

of the instrumented building help to quantify the wave-propagation and soil-structure interaction. 

Such free-field data is also useful for development of ground-motion prediction equations (for 

example, Boore and others, 1997) and quantification of site transfer functions. Free-field motion 

also provides input for USGS ShakeMaps, maps that depict ground motion and shaking intensity 

after significant earthquakes, and USGS ShakeCast, an application for automating ShakeMap

delivery to the VA for facilitating notification of shaking levels at VA facilities. Data from the 

free-field station may also be used for earthquake early warning systems, which are currently 

under development. Details of free-field and reference stations are given in appendix B. 

Recorded data from the instrumented VA hospitals will be available to the VA 

engineering staff through a dedicated Web site (which is currently under development as part of 

the ongoing project) and also through the Center for Engineering Strong Motion Data (CESMD) 

at http://www.strongmotioncenter.org/. The CESMD is a cooperative center established by the 

USGS and the California Geological Survey (CGS) to integrate and disseminate earthquake 

strong-motion data from the California Strong Motion Instrumentation Program, the NSMP, and 

the ANSS. The CESMD provides raw and processed strong-motion data for earthquake 

engineering applications. 
5

Figure 3. Photograph of a typical free-field station in West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 

California (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Earthquake Monitoring Hardware and Installation

To identify the optimum list of hardware to be used for instrumentation of medical 

buildings, equipment from different vendors were considered in terms of data requirements, 

quality, durability and cost. Appendix A describes technical details of sensors, cables, and 

recorders used. The equipment is installed in the medical building according to the following

steps: 

1. Structural and architectural drawings and geology reports (if available) are obtained from 

VA. 

2. Instrumentation design showing approximate locations for the sensor and central recorder 

is prepared by a USGS structural engineer.

3. A USGS structural engineer and technicians meet with the VA engineers and staff on site 

to review instrumentation design and determine exact sensor locations, cable routes, and 

the location of the free-field (or reference) site on the medical campus. 

4. The USGS structural engineer and technician meet with the electrical contractor for 

cabling work and inspect the entire structure and free-field (or reference) site. The 

cabling routes, location of central recorder, and sensor locations are checked once again 

with the contractor. 

5. An initial calibration of hardware is conducted in the NSMP Menlo Park or Pasadena 

offices. The calibrated system is installed in the structure with appropriate test 

procedures, including a static tilt sensitivity test for each sensor and determination of 
6

direction of motion for upward trace deflection on the record by a team of USGS 

technicians.

Remote testing of the installed system is conducted by analyzing ambient vibration data 

through a system identification approach. This approach provides elastic dynamic properties of 

the building, including its fundamental modes, mode shapes, and modal damping values. The 

results are used to verify that the system, including the data logger and all sensors, is fully 

functional. 

Table 1. List of Veterans Affairs hospitals identified for use of an advanced earthquake monitoring system. [Seismic Hazard: VH, very high; H, high, ML, moderately low. -, no data. AK, Arkansas; CA, California; IL, 

Illinois; MO, Missouri; MT, Montana; NV, Nevada; PR, Puerto Rico; OK, Oklahoma; OR, Oregon; SC, South 

Carolina; TN, Tennessee] 

State Medical Center

Location

Building 

Number Building Name 

Number of Stories Seismic 

Hazard

Number of Sensors

Below 

Ground

Above 

Ground

In

structure

Ground 

level

AK Anchorage B100 New Hospital Building - 2 VH 21 3 

CA Palo Alto 100 Outpatient Clinic 1 4 VH 24

3 

CA Palo Alto 101 Outpatient Clinic 1 4 VH 12

CA Menlo Park 334 Center Core Building 1 3 VH 24 3 

CA Livermore 62 MS and N 1 6 VH 24 3 

CA San Francisco 200 AmbCare/Clinical 

Support 1 4 VH 16 3 

CA Los Angeles 1 Out Patient Clinic 1 6 VH 24 3 

CA Sepulveda 10 Outpatient Clinical 

Care - 3 VH 24 3 

CA West Los Angeles 114 Research Lab 1 4 VH 12 3 

CA West Los Angeles 500 Main Hospital 1 7 VH 24 3 

CA San Diego 1 Main Hospital 1 6 VH 60 3 

IL Marion 1 Main Hospital 1 4 H 48 3 

MO Poplar Bluff 1 Medical / Nursing / 

PCC - 7 H 48 3 

MT Fort Harrison 154 Main Hospital - 6 H 24 3 

NV Reno 12 New Bed 

Building/Clinic - 6 VH 36 3 

PR San Juan 10 Nursing Building - 2 H 12 3 

PR San Juan B30 New Bed Tower 1 6 H 24 3 

OK Oklahoma City 1 Main Hospital 1 11 ML 60 3 

OR Roseburg 1 Main Hospital - 5 VH 36 3 

OR White City 201 Primary Care Clinic - 2 H 12 - 

OR Portland 100 Main Hospital 2 9 H 39 - 

SC Charleston 1 Main Hospital - 5 VH 48 3 

TN Memphis 7 Spinal Chord Injury - 3 VH 12

3 

TN Memphis 1A Bed Tower - 3 VH 24

UT Salt Lake City 14 Main Hospital 1 4 VH 24 3 

VA Richmond 500 Main Hospital 1 5 ML 36 3 

WA Seattle 100 D and 

T

Main Hosp. Diag. and 

Treatment Wing 1 7 VH 27 3 

WA Vancouver 11 Barnes Rehab 

Building - 3 H 24 3 
7

VA Medical Buildings

Twenty-eight VA hospital buildings selected for seismic monitoring are described in the 

following sections. These buildings are listed below in alphabetical order given in table 1. 

NSMP Station 8045—Anchorage, Alaska: New Hospital, Building No. B100

Building Description

Building B100 at the medical center in Anchorage, Alaska, is part of the Alaska VA 

Healthcare System (http://www.alaska.va.gov/). This two-story steel building is approximately 

188,000 square feet (ft2) (fig. 4 through fig. 6). It was designed in 2007 and completed in 2010. 

The building has an irregular plan shape with three wings located in the east, north, and the 

southwest. These wings have dimensions of 99 by 240 ft, 240 by 90 ft, and 300 by 90 ft, 

respectively. A seismic joint separates the southwest wing from other wings. The first story is 

14.5 ft tall and the second story is 14 ft tall. There is a small penthouse located on the roof that is 

approximately 12 ft tall. The base of the structure is supported by a 4-inch-thick concrete slab on 

grade. The second floor is supported by a composite slab made up of 2.5 inches of concrete fill 

over decking reinforcement. The roof is composed of a similar composite slab as the second 

floor, but there is 3 inches of concrete fill. The building’s lateral-force resisting system consists 

of steel braced moment resisting frames (fig. 7). The steel columns that support the building rest 

on isolated spread footings. These details were obtained from the structural and architectural 

drawings provided by the VA. 

Figure 4. Photograph of Building B100, Anchorage Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Alaska (aerial view)

(U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs photograph). 
8

Figure 5. Photograph of Building B100, Anchorage Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Alaska (looking 

north) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 6. Photograph of Building B100, Anchorage Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Alaska (looking

northeast) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
9

Figure 7. Photograph of steel braces providing additional lateral stiffness in Building B100, Anchorage 

Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Alaska (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current 2003 National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program 

(NEHRP) recommended provisions for seismic regulations of new buildings and other 

structures6, is 1.51 times the acceleration due to gravity (g). The long-period spectral 

acceleration, S1, is 0.56 g. 

Instrumentation 

A total of 21 accelerometers are deployed in the building to obtain its lateral and torsional 

motion as well as inter-story drifts (fig. 8) during an earthquake. A triaxial accelerometer 

(channels 1 through 3) is placed on first floor ground level to measure the three components of 

input ground motion. Nine accelerometers oriented parallel to the building sides (channels 4 

through 12) are placed on the first-floor ceiling to measure the lateral motion of each wing. 

Another nine accelerometers (channels 13 through 21) are placed on the second-floor ceiling to 

monitor the roof diaphragm’s lateral motion. The floor relative displacements can be computed 

from accelerometers located at the same corner of the building on the same vertical axis. Also, 

the relative motions of the wings can be computed using sensors on the same floor pointing the 

same direction (for example, channels 14 and 15; 19 and 20). The building’s accelerometers are 

complemented by a three-component seismic accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP 

Station No. 8046), approximately 156 ft away from the building, to monitor ground shaking 

without interference from the building’s earthquake response. 

 

6 Seismic hazard map values were obtained from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/designmaps/.
10

Figure 8. Diagram of sensor layout showing 21 sensors in Building B100 of the Anchorage Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Alaska (circle denotes 

a sensor oriented outward; for example sensor 1 in first floor plan is oriented in vertical direction).
11

NSMP Station 1868—Palo Alto, California: Outpatient Clinic, Building No.

100

Building Description

Building 100, the main hospital building of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System

(http://www.paloalto.va.gov/), is located in Palo Alto, California. This four-story structure with a 

partial basement is approximately 341,300 ft2 (fig. 9 through fig. 12). It has not been 

significantly modified since it was built in 1994. The building has an irregular plan shape, in 

which the main part of the building is square with dimensions of 286 by 286 ft. There is a 

courtyard near the center of the building. The building also has two wings adjoining the main 

section of the structure in south and the west directions. The wings have symmetrical plans with 

dimensions of 104 by 130 ft. The typical floor height is 16 ft. The building’s lateral-force 

resisting system consists of moment-resisting steel frames with chevron braces. 

 

Figure 9. Photograph of Building 100, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (front view)

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.98 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.80 g. 
12

Figure 10. Photograph of Building 100, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (side view) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 11. Photograph of Building 100, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (looking 

southwest) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
13

Figure 12. Photograph of Building 100, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (looking 

northwest) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Instrumentation

A total of 24 accelerometers are deployed in the building to measure its earthquake 

response (fig. 13 and fig. 14). Every floor is instrumented by at least four acceloremeters. A 

triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is placed on the basement. Because the basement is 

partial and does not cover the building’s entire footprint, two additional accelerometers (channels 

6 and 7) are also located on the part of the first-floor slab sitting on the ground to measure the 

horizontal and vertical input motions at this level. These sensors together with the triaxial 

sensors at the basement will measure the input ground motion to the building. Two 

accelerometers (channels 4 and 5) are mounted on the basement ceiling to measure the first-floor 

slab lateral movement. To measure the second-floor lateral motion in reference east-west and 

north-south directions, four accelerometers (channels 8 through 11) are placed on the first-floor 

ceiling. The floor torsional motions and diaphragm rigidity can be computed using 

accelerometers pointing the same direction on the same level (for example channels 8 and 11 or 

channels 9 and 10). Four accelerometers (channels 12 through 15) are placed on the second-floor 

ceiling, and four accelerometers (channels 16 through 19) are mounted on the third-floor ceiling 

to obtain the third and fourth floor’s lateral and torsional motions, respectively. Another five 

accelerometers (channels 20 through 24) are placed on the fourth-floor ceiling to measure the 

lateral motion of the roof diaphragm. Relative motion of the west wing as compared to the main 

building can be obtained by differentiating data from channels 22 and 23 at the roof level (fig. 13

and fig. 14). The inter-story drift can also be computed from likewise oriented accelerometers on 

the same vertical axes (for example, channels 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, and 21 for the east-west direction 

and channels 6, 11, 14, 18, and 22 for the north-south direction). 
14

The building’s sensor array is complemented by a three-component accelerometer located 

at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 1872), approximately 330 ft away from the building, to 

monitor ground shaking without interference from the building’s earthquake response. 
15

Figure 13. Diagram of sensor layout showing a total of 24 sensors in Building 100 of the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 

1 of 2; see also fig. 14). 
16

Figure 14. Sensor layout showing a total of 24 sensors in Building 100 of the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 2 of 2; see 

also fig. 13). 
17

NSMP Station 1869—Palo Alto, California: Outpatient Clinic, Building No.

101

Building Description

Building 101, located in Palo Alto, California, is part of the VA Palo Alto Health Care 

System (http://www.paloalto.va.gov). This 4-story structure is approximately 110,700 ft2 (fig. 15

through fig. 18). The building has not been heavily renovated since its initial design in 1994. The 

structural system of the building is composed of steel moment-resisting frames and concrete 

slabs. The building’s base shape at ground level is a square with the southwest quarter removed, 

and an extended, circular protrusion at the northeast and southwest directions. The stories above 

the first floor are similar except without the circular protrusion continuing to the roof of the 

structure. Story heights are typically 16 ft, with a total height of 80 ft above the ground. The 

building has a concrete mat foundation. Building 101 is connected to Building 100 at all floor 

levels, separated by seismic joints (fig. 19). 

Figure 15. Photograph of Building 101, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (looking east) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
18

Figure 16. Photograph of Building 101, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (looking 

northeast) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

 

Figure 17. Photograph of Building 101, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (looking 

southwest) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
19

Figure 18. Photograph of Building 101, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (looking east) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 19. Photograph showing 4-story high connecting structure between Building 100 and Building 101

Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
20

Seismic-Hazard Conditions 

Building 101 is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.98 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.80 g. 

Instrumentation

A total of 12 accelerometers are deployed in the building at four levels to measure its 

lateral motion in the reference east-west and north-south directions (fig. 20). Three 

accelerometers (channels 25 through 27) are placed on the ground-floor ceiling to monitor the 

first-floor lateral motions. Nine accelerometers (channels 28 through 36) are distributed on the 

ceilings of the first, second, and third floors to measure floor lateral motions and compute floor 

torsional motions. The accelerometers are placed at the same corner of the building so that the 

inter-story drift computations in reference east-west and north-south direction can be performed

along the same vertical axis (for example, channels 27, 30, 33, and 36 for the north-south 

direction drifts). Because the recorder for sensors deployed in Building 101 is located in 

Building 100, the sensor numbers start from 25. The first 24 channels of the recorder are 

dedicated to motion sensors in Building 100. The building’s channels will be presented 

separately during the post-processing of recorded data.

The building’s accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 1872), approximately 330 ft away 

from the building to monitor ground shaking without interference from the building’s earthquake 

response. 
21

Figure 20. Diagram of sensor layout showing a total of 12 sensors in Building 101, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California.
22

NSMP Station 1870—Menlo Park, California: Center Core Building, 

Building No. 334

Building Description

Building 334 located in Menlo Park, California, is part of the VA Palo Alto Health Care 

System (http://www.paloalto.va.gov). This building (fig. 21 through fig. 23) has not been 

significantly modified since it was built in 1998. This steel braced moment-resisting frame 

building, approximately 153,100 ft2

, has an irregular shape as it is composed of three different 

blocks divided by two seismic joints. The building also has a courtyard located on the north side. 

This building has two stories located above ground and a basement level. Typical floor and roof 

construction is composed of composite slabs made from 1.5-inch metal decking with 8 inches of 

lightweight concrete. The composite slab is supported by steel columns. The buildings lateral 

force resisting system consists of steel moment-resisting frames. The columns supporting this 

building are resting on isolated spread footings. 

Figure 21. Photograph of Building 334, Menlo Park Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (front view)

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
23

Figure 22. Photograph of Building 334, Menlo Park Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (looking 

west) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 23. Photograph of Building 334, Menlo Park Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (looking 

north) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
24

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.50 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.69 g. 

Instrumentation

The building is split into three blocks by two seismic joints. A total of 21 accelerometers 

are deployed in the building at critical locations to capture translational and torsional motions of 

each block at each floor level (fig. 24). A triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is placed 

on the basement level to measure the three components of input ground motion. Four 

accelerometers (channels 4 through 7) are placed on the first floor to measure the lateral floor 

motions of the side blocks in the reference east-west and north-south directions. Likewise, four 

accelerometers (channels 8 through 13) are placed on the first-floor ceiling level to monitor the 

second-floor lateral motion and compute floor torsional motion. Another seven accelerometers 

(channels 15 through 21) are placed on the second-floor ceiling level to measure the roof lateral 

motion along the reference directions, and to compute diaphragm torsional response. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a reference site (NSMP Station No. 1871), approximately 300 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the building’s 

earthquake response. 
25

Figure 24. Diagram of sensor layout showing a total of 24 sensors in Building 334, Menlo Park Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California. 
26

NSMP Station 1226—Livermore, California: Medical, Surgical and 

Neurological (MS and N), Building No. 62

Building Description

Building 62 located in Livermore, California, is part of the VA Palo Alto Health Care 

System (http://www.paloalto.va.gov). This six-story, reinforced-concrete structure has 

approximately 74,200 ft2 (fig. 25 and fig. 26). No seismic retrofitting has been done since it was 

built in 1948. The building has a rectangular plan with a center protrusion in the southern 

direction. The base dimensions of the rectangular plan measure 286 by 49 ft. There is a centrally 

located mechanical penthouse above the core at the roof, next to the elevator shaft. The walls are 

comprised of cast-in-place concrete slabs supported by concrete beams and girders and concrete 

shear walls. The foundation is composed of isolated spread footings below the columns and 

continuous footings under the shear walls. 

Figure 25. Photograph of Building 62, Livermore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (front view)

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
27

Figure 26. Photograph of Building 62, Livermore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (back side of 

the building looking north) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.50 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.60 g. 

Instrumentation

A total of 21 accelerometers are deployed in Building 62 to measure its lateral response 

at each floor level (fig. 27 and fig. 28). A triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is placed 

in the basement to measure ground shaking in three orthogonal directions as input motion to the 

building. Two accelerometers (channels 4 and 5) are placed on the ceiling of the basement floor 

to measure the lateral motion of the first floor in the reference east-west and north-south 

direction. Similarly, two accelerometers (channels 6 and 7) are placed on the first-floor ceiling to 

measure second-floor lateral motion. The second-floor and the third-floor ceilings are similarly 

instrumented with three accelerometers each (channels 8 through 13). Four accelerometers 

(channels 14 through 17) are placed on the fourth-floor ceiling level. The fifth-floor ceiling is 

monitored by three accelerometers (channels 18 through 20). Another four accelerometers 

(channels 21 through 24) are placed on the sixth-floor ceiling to measure the lateral floor motion 

of the roof in two orthogonal directions. For example for the fifth floor, the floor torsional 

motion can be computed using data either from channel 14 and 15 or from channel 16 and 17. 

Throughout the building, a rigid diaphragm behavior is expected to occur due to a thick concrete 

slab. 

As shown in figure 29, the building accelerometers are complemented by a threecomponent seismic accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 1874), 

approximately 300 ft away from the building to monitor ground shaking without interference 

from the building’s earthquake response. 
28

Figure 27. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in of Building 62, Livermore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 1 of 2; see 

also fig. 28). 
29

Figure 28. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in of Building 62, Livermore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 2 of 2; see 

also fig. 27). 
30

Figure 29. Photograph of free-field station (NSMP Station No. 1874) at Livermore Veterans Affairs Medical 

Center, California (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

NSMP Station 1875—San Francisco, California: Ambulance Care/Clinical 

Support Building, Building No. 200

Building Description

Building 200 is located in San Francisco, California, is part of the VA San Francisco 

Medical Center (http://www.sanfrancisco.va.gov). This four-story reinforced concrete structure, 

built in 1962, has approximately 155,509 ft2 (fig. 30). The building is composed of two adjoining 

rectangular sections, the first being 241 by 103 ft, and the second being 102 by 110 ft. Story 

heights for the first floor through the fourth floor are typically 12 ft. The basement level is 14 ft 4 

inches below the ground level. Typical floor and roof construction consists of composite slabs 

supported by concrete columns. The basement is a concrete slab on grade, and the foundation of 

the building consists of shallow isolated footings. The building’s lateral-force resisting system 

consists of reinforced concrete frames and shear walls. 
31

Figure 30. Photograph of Building 200, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions 

Data obtained from geologic maps suggests that the site is underlain by intensely sheared 

rocks of the Franciscan Formation. This site also borders sites with deposits of Quaternary-age 

dune sand and weathered Franciscan bedrock. The dune sand is made up of clean, fine to 

medium grained sand that is underlain by weathered Franciscan bedrock. Bore holes and 

laboratory tests suggest that the site has a stratigraphy that consists of five to seven feet of 

medium-dense sand fill that is underlain by medium stiff sandy clay. The sandy clay is underlain 

by sandstone and claystone bedrock. Groundwater was discovered at approximately 13 ft below 

ground level. 

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.83 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.95 g.

Instrumentation

A total of 16 accelerometers are deployed in the building (fig. 31). The three components 

of ground motion are measured by a triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) placed on the 

slab of the basement. Two accelerometers (channels 4 and 5) are placed on the basement-floor 

ceiling to measure lateral motion of the first floor in two orthogonal directions. Three 

accelerometers (channels 6 through 8) are placed on the first-floor ceiling to measure secondfloor lateral motion in the reference east-west and north-south direction. The floor torsional 

motion can be computed from channel 6 and 8. Similarly, three accelerometers (channels 9 

through 11) are placed on the second-floor ceiling and three accelerometers (channels 12 through 
32

14) are placed on the third-floor ceiling to measure respective floor lateral motions of the third 

and fourth floor in two orthogonal directions. The fourth-floor ceiling (roof) is monitored by two 

accelerometers (channels 15 and 16). Because of the physical constraints, no more than two 

accelerometers were deployed to monitor the roof motion. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a reference site (NSMP Station No. 1876), approximately 330 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the building’s 

earthquake response. 
33

Figure 31. Diagram of sensor layout showing 16 sensors in the Building 200 of the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California. 
34

NSMP Station 5483—Los Angeles, California: Outpatient Clinic, Building 

No. 1 

Building Description

Building 1, located in Los Angeles, California, is part of the VA Greater Los Angeles 

Healthcare System (http://www.losangeles.va.gov). This five-story structure with two 

underground parking levels has approximately 201,395 ft2 (fig. 32 and fig. 33). It has an irregular 

plan shape and several offsets in vertical directions. The typical story height is 15 ft, although the 

underground parking levels have heights from higher than 13.5 ft to lower than 10.5 ft. The 

structure’s foundation is composed mainly of spread footings to support both exterior and 

interior columns. Some of the spread footings are isolated, whereas others are combined. The 

vertical load carrying system and lateral-force resisiting systems both consist of reinforced 

concrete walls and steel frames. 

Figure 32. Photograph of Building 1, Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (side view)

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
35

Figure 33. Photograph of Building 1, Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (looking east; 

back side view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of new 

buildings and other structures, is 2.18 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.73 g. 

Instrumentation

A total of 24 accelerometers are deployed in the building to measure its lateral response 

in the reference east-west and north-south directions (fig. 34 and fig. 35). A triaxial 

accelerometer (channels 1, 4, and 5) is placed on the ground of the parking level 2 to measure the 

three components input to ground motion. Another two accelerometers oriented vertically 

(channels 2 and 3) are also placed on the parking level 2. The rocking motion of the building can 

be computed from channels 1, 2, and 3. Two accelerometers (channels 6 and 7) are placed on the 

ceiling of parking level 2. Another two accelerometers (channels 8 and 9) are placed on the 

ceiling of parking level 1 to measure slab lateral motions in two orthogonal directions. Fifteen 

accelerometers (channels 10 through 24) are evenly distributed on the ceilings of the first, 

second, third, fourth, and fifth floors to monitor their motion in two horizontal directions. The 

accelerometers are located at the same corners of the building so that inter-story drifts can be 

computed from likewise oriented accelerometers along the same vertical axes. Because the 

building has an irregular plan, same direction oriented sensors at each floor level will help to 

compute torsional motion of each floor. 

The building’s accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 5484), approximately 655 ft away 

from the building to monitor ground shaking without interference from the building’s earthquake 

response.
36

Figure 34. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 1, Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 1 of 2; see 

also fig. 35).
37

Figure 35. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 1, Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 2 of 2; see 

also fig. 34).
38

NSMP Station 5478—Sepulveda, California: Outpatient Clinical Care, 

Building No. 10

Building Description

Building 10 is located in Sepulveda, California, is part of the VA Greater Los Angeles 

Healthcare System (http://www.losangeles.va.gov). The building is approximately 101,223 ft2

(fig. 36 through fig. 39). It was originally built in 1952 and later retrofitted in 1998. This 

building is irregularly shaped with the main wing at 451 by 42 ft. The typical story height for this 

three-story structure is 11.5 ft. Typical floor and roof construction consists of composite slabs 

supported by steel frames. The columns rest on isolated spread footings. The buildings lateralforce resisting system consists of reinforced concrete frames.

Figure 36. Photograph of Building 10, Sepulveda Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (front view)

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
39

Figure 37. Photograph of Building 10, Sepulveda Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (looking 

north) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 38. Photograph of Building 10, Sepulveda Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (side view) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
40

Figure 39. Photograph of Building 10, Sepulveda Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (side view) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 2.10 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.74 g. 

Instrumentation

A total of 24 accelerometers are deployed in the building at four different levels (fig. 40). 

A triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is placed on the ground floor to measure the 

input ground motion. A vertically oriented accelerometer (channel 4) is also placed on the 

ground floor so that the rocking motion of the building around the reference east-west axis can 

be obtained. Two accelerometers (channels 5 and 6) are placed on the ground floor to measure 

the spatial variation of input ground motion due to the lengthy wings of the structure. Eighteen 

accelerometers (channels 7 through 24) are distributed on ceilings of the ground, first, and 

second floors to measure lateral floor motion along the reference east-west and north-south 

directions, and compute torsional response of each floor. Channels 18 and 24 are oriented in the 

same direction to compute floor diaphragm flexibility. The response of the wings as opposed to 

the response of the main structure will be computed by comparing channels 7 and 8 with 

channels 10 and 11 for the first floor and for other floors by using the corresponding channels on 

similar vertical axes. 

The building’s accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a reference site (NSMP Station No. 637), approximately 1,150 ft away 

from the building to monitor ground shaking without interference from the building’s earthquake 

response. 
41

Figure 40. Diagram of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 10 of the Sepulveda Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California. 
42

NSMP Station 5082—West Los Angeles, California: Main Hospital, Building 

No. 500

Building Description

Building 500 located in West Los Angeles, California, is part of the VA Greater Los 

Angeles Healthcare System (http://www.losangeles.va.gov). The building, built in 1976, is a sixstory structure of approximately 937,000 ft2

 (fig. 41 and fig. 42). It serves as the main hospital on 

the VA medical campus. This steel-frame building has a square plan on the lowest two stories 

and a cruciform plan above the second floor, with an overall width of 457 ft in each direction. It 

has an isolated central core above the second floor, connected by enclosed bridges to the main 

sections of the building. Story heights are typically 17 ft 3 inches with an unfinished basement 

approximately 10 ft below the ground floor. There is a partial full-height basement under the 

center of the building and a centrally located mechanical penthouse above the core at the roof. 

Typical floor and roof construction consists of composite slabs supported by steel trusses and 

steel columns. The bottom chords of the trusses form an interstitial space with steel catwalks 

installed to provide access to the numerous mechanical systems located above the ceiling of each 

floor. The basement floor is a concrete slab on grade, and the foundations are concrete pile caps 

with drilled concrete piers. The perimeter walls below the first floor are reinforced concrete.

Figure 41. Photograph of Building 500, West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (side 

view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
43

Figure 42. Photograph of Building 500, West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California 

(looking northwest) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

The building’s lateral force resisting system consists of steel braced frames. Each wing of 

the cruciform floor plan has four groups of three braced frames as well as two groups of three 

frames around the stairwells at the exterior end of each wing. Each pile cap has a large number 

of drilled piers. A single large pile cap as much as 10 ft thick supports each group of braced 

frames. The concrete walls below the first floor at the perimeter transfer some of the lateral load 

to the foundation. The floor and roof diaphragms are concrete slabs on metal decks that typically 

span between steel collectors located along the lines of braced frames.

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions 

The building is located on a fairly level site. The exterior grade slopes slightly so that it is 

at the first-floor level on the north side and at the ground-floor level on the south side. The 

buildings are founded on relatively soft soils of varying depths. 

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.89 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.64 g. 

Instrumentation

A total of 24 accelerometers are deployed in the building at different floor levels to 

measure floor lateral motions in two orthogonal directions (fig. 43 and fig. 44). A triaxial 

accelerometer (channels 3 through 5), together with vertically oriented accelerometers (channels

1 and 2), is placed on the basement to measure ground motion input to the building. The 

recordings of the three vertically oriented accelerometers also provide the rocking motions of the 

building around the reference east-west and north-south axes. Another accelerometer (channel 6) 

is placed on the basement-floor ceiling level to monitor first-floor slab motion. Eighteen
44

accelerometers (channels 7 through 24) are evenly distributed on the ceiling of the upper floors 

to measure floor lateral motion. The floor torsional motion can be computed from likewise 

oriented accelerometers on the same floor (for example, channels 22 and 24 will be used to 

compute roof torsional motion) 

The building accelerometers are complemented by two sets of three-component seismic 

accelerometers located at free-field sites (NSMP Station No. 5082), approximately 655 and 

1,560 ft away from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from building’s 

earthquake response.
45

Figure 43. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 500 of the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 

1 of 2; see also fig. 44). 
46

Figure 44. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 500 of the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 

2 of 2; see also fig. 43).
47

NSMP Station 5485—West Los Angeles, California: Research Lab., 

Building No. 114

Building Description

Building 114 located in West Los Angeles, California, is part of the VA Greater Los 

Angeles Healthcare System (http://www.losangeles.va.gov). This building is a four-story 

reinforced concrete and masonry structure that is approximately 69,921 ft2 (fig. 45 and fig. 46). It

was designed and built in 1944 and serves as the research facility on the VA medical campus. No 

seismic retrofitting has been done since it was built in 1944. Its lateral- and vertical-force 

resisting system consists of reinforced concrete frames and shear walls. The building rests on 

isolated reinforced concrete footings.

Figure 45. Photograph of Building 114, West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.84 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.63 g. 

Instrumentation

A total of 10 accelerometers are deployed in the building (fig. 47). Channels 1 through 3 

are placed on the basement to record input ground motion. Five accelerometers (channels 4, 5, 7, 

8, and 10) oriented in the reference north-south axis (the weak direction of the building) are 

placed on the ceilings of the ground, first, second, and third floors to measure floor lateral 

motion. Two accelerometers (channels 6 and 9) oriented in the reference east-west axis are 
48

placed on the ceilings of the first and third floors to measure the floor motion in the strong 

direction. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by the three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 5082), approximately 2,380 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the earthquake response 

of the building. 

Figure 46. Photograph of Building 114, West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California

(looking southeast) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
49

Figure 47. Diagram of sensor layout showing 10 sensors in Building 114 of the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California. 
50

NSMP Station 5105—San Diego, California: Main Hospital, Building No. 1 

Building Description

Building 1, located in San Diego, California, is the main hospital building in VA San 

Diego Healthcare System (http://www.sandiego.va.gov). This 125-foot tall, steel-braced frame 

building was constructed in 1972 and has six-stories with a basement. Its total area is 

approximately 854,900 ft2, with a typical floor area of approximately 106,000 ft2 (fig. 48). 

The building plan comprises four wings and a central core. Each wing is 158 ft wide and 

149 ft long projecting from the central core as shown in figure 48. The floor height of the

interstitial floors is approximately 17 ft. The first story is 450 ft square in plan extending entirely 

to the ends of the wings, which results in a vertical irregularity due to the large increase of floor 

area relative to the levels above. The sloping site results in a partial basement level below the 

northern three wings, which is approximately 19 ft in height. 

The structural system for a typical floor consists of 5-inch thick cast-in-place concrete 

slabs supported by steel trusses spaced at approximately 12 to 14 ft. The trusses span 

transversely across each of the wings, cantilevering approximately 27 ft at the ends, and are 

supported by truss girders at the braced frame column lines. The truss girders span to steel wideflange columns. The second and first floors are approximately 450 ft square in plan. 

The second-floor framing consists of long-span steel trusses similar to the typical floors 

above. However, the first floor system consists of a 5-inch thick cast-in-place concrete slab 

supported by typical steel wide-flange beams and columns. The foundations are concrete spread 

footings at the interior columns and concrete mat foundations supporting the steel-braced frames 

located approximately 5 ft below grade.

The lateral-force resisting system for the building above the first floor uses the reinforced 

concrete floors as horizontal diaphragms spanning to tall, slender steel-braced frames. The top 

chord members of the truss girders have been detailed as collector elements in the line of the 

longitudinal braced frames in each wing. There are eight symmetrically located braced frames 

per wing in each orthogonal direction for the typical floor levels and are shown in figure 48. The 

braced frames are 125 ft tall and 12 to 19 ft wide. The braced frames fall within three different 

configurations and have been designated as brace No. 1, 2, or 3. There are eight brace-1 frames 

in the transverse directions and four each of brace-2 and brace-3 frames in the longitudinal 

direction in each wing.

The lateral-force resisting system below the first floor level consists of a reinforced 

concrete diaphragm spanning concrete perimeter shear walls. The braced frames from the upper 

floor levels are continuous through the first floor. However, no special collectors were provided 

at the first floor to distribute the lateral force from the braced frames to the stiffer perimeter wall 

elements below the first-floor level. 

The building’s lateral stiffness is mainly provided by eight seismic towers located around 

the building and rigidly attached to slabs at each floor above ground. 
51

Figure 48. Photograph of Building 1, San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (front view)

(U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions 

The building sits on the north face of a sloping site. A site-specific geotechnical report 

dated June 17, 1996, by Geotechnical Exploration, Inc., describes the soils observed at the site as 

medium dense, silty, fine to medium sand fill over dense, silty sand/sandy silt, siltstone, and 

sandstone formational soils. 

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.56 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.60 g.

Instrumentation

A total of 60 accelerometers are placed at eight levels in the building to measure its 

response to ground motion (fig. 49 through fig. 51). A triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 

3) and two vertically oriented accelerometers (channels 4 and 5) are placed at the corner of the 

basement to measure input ground motion. The rocking motions of the building can be obtained 

from vertically oriented accelerometers (channels 1, 4, and 5). A triaxial accelerometer (channels

6 to 8) and three accelerometers (channels 9 through 11) are placed on the first-floor ground 

level. Accelerometers are placed on the upper floor edges and centers to measure the response of 

the wings and core of the building. Two triaxial accelerometers (channels 52 through 53 and

channels 56 through 58) are also mounted on the core at the sixth-floor ceiling level; the 

vertically oriented sensors here will provide measurements of the rocking motion of the 

superstructure, as well as of the flexural response of the core. 

The building’s accelerometers are also complemented by three-component seismic 

accelerometers located at a reference site (NSMP Station No. 5440) distant from the building to 

monitor ground shaking without interference from the response of the building. 
52

Figure 49. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 60 sensors in Building 1 of the San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 1 of 3; 

see also figs. 50 and 51). 
53

Figure 50. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 60 sensors in Building 1 of the San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 2 of 3; 

see also figs. 49 and 51). 
54

Figure 51. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 60 sensors in Building 1 of the San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, California (page 3 of 3; 

see also figs. 49 and 50).
55

NSMP Station 7415—Marion, Illinois: Main Hospital, Building No. 1 

Building Description

Building 1 at the Marion VA Medical Center (http://www.marion.va.gov) in Marion, 

Illinois, is approximately 81,750 ft2

 (fig. 52 through fig. 54). This reinforced concrete building 

was built in 1940, and underwent corrections to fix its seismic deficiencies in 1988. The building 

has an irregular plan shape with two wings on east and west sides of the central core and a 

protrusion in the middle of the building. The east and west wings are both separated from the 

central core by seismic joints. The east and west wings are symmetrical and have dimensions of 

140 ft 10 inches by 38 ft 6 inches. This building is four stories high and has a single basement 

level. The basement is 12 ft below ground level. The first floor is 12 ft 4 inches tall. The second 

and third floors are both 11 ft 6 inches tall. The fourth floor is 13 ft 10 inches tall. The building 

also has a penthouse that is 12 ft 9 inches tall. Typical floor and roof construction consists of 

composite reinforced concrete slabs supported by concrete columns. The basement floor is a 

concrete slab on grade, and the building is supported by isolated spread footings. The building 

lateral stiffness is mainly provided by two seismic towers located at the front of the building and 

rigidly attached to slabs at each floor above ground. The two wings also had shear walls added as 

part of the seismic correction. 

Figure 52. Photograph of Building 1, Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Illinois (front view) (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 
56

Figure 53. Photograph of Building 1, Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Illinois (looking southwest) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 54. Photograph of free-field site at the Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Illinois (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 
57

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.12 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.31 g.

Instrumentation

A total of 48 accelerometers are deployed in the building to measure its lateral motion 

along the reference east-west and north-south directions (fig. 55 and fig. 56). A triaxial 

accelerometer (channels 3 through 5) is placed on the basement to measure the three components 

of input ground motion. Two vertically oriented accelerometers (channels 1 and 2) are also 

placed on the basement. The rocking motion of the building can be obtained from the vertically 

oriented accelerometers. Nineteen accelerometers are placed at different floor levels in the 

middle block to measure its lateral motions and compute its torsional motions. The side blocks 

are instrumented likewise; each has twelve accelerometers to measure lateral and torsional 

response. The relative floor displacement for each block can also be computed from the 

accelerometer located at the same corner of the building along the same vertical axis. 

As shown in figure 54, the building’s accelerometers are complemented by a threecomponent seismic accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 7415), 

approximately 2,625 ft away from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference 

from the earthquake response of the building. 
58

Figure 55. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 48 sensors in Building 1 of the Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Illinois (page 1 of 2; see also 

fig. 56). 
59

Figure 56. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 48 sensors in Building 1 of the Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Illinois (page 2 of 2; see also 

fig. 55).
60

NSMP Station 7402—Poplar Bluff, Missouri: Medical Nursing PCC, Building 

No. 1 

Building Description

Building 1 at the John J Pershing VA Medical Center (http://www.poplarbluff.va.gov/) in 

Poplar Bluff, Missouri, is approximately 137,718 ft2 and has six floors. This structure was 

retrofitted in 1982 (fig. 57). It is a reinforced concrete structure with masonry façade. The 

building is comprised of six different wings—a central wing, northwest wing, northeast wing, 

southwest wing, southeast wing, and a north wing. This building has two seismic joints 

separating the north wing from the central wing on the east and west sides. The building’s floor 

and roof construction consists of a composite reinforced concrete slab supported by reinforced 

concrete columns. The perimeter of the walls along the ground floor is a mixture of concrete 

walls. The building’s lateral and vertical force resisting system consists of reinforced concrete 

frames and shear walls. 

Figure 57. Photograph of Building 1, Poplar Bluff Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Missouri (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.10 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.30 g. 

Instrumentation

A total of 48 accelerometers are placed in the building at different levels and locations to 

measure the significant response of the building during an earthquake (fig. 58 and fig. 59). The 

accelerometers are placed in the critical corners of the building so that both the lateral and 

torsional responses can be measured and computed. A triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through
61

3) is placed on the ground-floor level to measure the three components of input ground motion. 

Forty-five accelerometers (channels 4 through 48) are distributed at six different floor levels to 

measure floor lateral motion along the reference east-west and north-south directions. Torsional 

motion of floors can be obtained from two likewise oriented accelerometers on the same floor. 

Floor relative displacements can also be computed from the recordings of the accelerometers 

located at the same vertical axis at three corners of the building. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a reference site (NSMP Station No. 7402), approximately 230 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the response of the 

building. 
62

Figure 58. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 48 sensors in Building 1 of the Poplar Bluff Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Missouri (page 1 of 2; 

see also fig. 59). 
63

Figure 59. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 48 sensors in Building 1 of the Poplar Bluff Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Missouri (page 2 of 2; 

see also fig. 58).
64

NSMP Station 7235—Fort Harrison, Montana: Main Hospital, Building No.

154

Building Description

Building 154 located at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center campus in 

Fort Harrison, Montana, is the main hospital building as part of the VA Montana Health Care 

System (http://www.montana.va.gov/). The original structure, built in 1963, had additions in 

1980, 1987, and 1995 (fig. 60 through fig. 65). The main part of Building 154 is a four-story 

structure with a full crawl-space basement and partial penthouse. The original Building 154 also 

includes a one-story structure to the north of the main hospital that is separated from the hospital 

by a 6-inch expansion joint. A connection corridor to the east was built during the original 

construction to link Building 154 with Buildings 150 and 141. The corridor is separated from the 

main structure by a 2-inch expansion joint. In 1980, a one-story addition with a full basement 

was added to expand the existing pharmacy at the southeast corner. This addition is separated 

from the original construction by a 2-inch expansion joint. In 1987, a one-story warehouse 

addition with a full, unfinished basement was added to the west of the west wing. This addition 

is separated from the main building except in the north-south direction. In 1995, a two-story 

addition with a full, unfinished basement was constructed to the south to expand the surgical and 

diagnostic imaging area of the hospital. This addition was rigidly connected at each level to the 

main part of hospital. The total gross square footage is approximately 132,381 ft2. The building 

is the main hospital at the campus.

The original construction of Building 154 is a reinforced concrete frame building with 

reinforced concrete masonry unit infill walls. The main part of the building is cruciform in plan 

with overall plan dimensions of approximately 230 by 262 ft. The east wing of the building steps 

in at the second and third levels. The north wing also steps in at the second level. A 25 by 82 ft

mechanical penthouse extends up past the roof level at the northeast corner. The one-story 

structure to the north is L shaped with overall plan dimensions of approximately 88 by 88 ft. The 

pharmacy addition has overall plan dimensions of 116 by 64 ft. The warehouse addition has 

overall plan dimensions of 109 by 69 ft. The surgical and diagnostic imaging expansion 

measures approximately 110 by 60 ft. Building 154A, a one-story addition with a full basement, 

was added in 1976 immediately adjacent to Building 154 at the northeast corner. The typical 

story height is approximately 11 ft 9 inches with the unfinished basement level at 7 ft 7 inches 

below the first floor, and the penthouse roof is approximately 13 ft 6 inches above the main roof 

level.

The roofs and typical floors consist of 3-inch concrete-pan joist slabs that are supported 

on reinforced concrete beams and columns at both the interior and exterior of the building. 

Except at roof areas, an additional 1 ft 1⁄2 inch concrete topping slab is found at the floor levels. 

The perimeter concrete beams also support the concrete masonry infill walls. The interior and 

exterior concrete columns are founded on concrete spread footings. The basement is composed 

of reinforced concrete retaining walls cast between the perimeter columns. The retaining walls 

are supported by their own continuous footing or by a grade beam spanning between column 

footings. The basement floor consists of a 6-inch concrete slab on grade at the mechanical area 

and an earth floor elsewhere. 

 
65

Figure 60. Photograph of Building 154, Fort Harrison Veterans affairs Medical Center, Montana (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 61. Photograph of Building 154, Fort Harrison Veterans affairs Medical Center, Montana (looking 

northwest; front view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
66

Figure 62. Photograph of Building 154, Fort Harrison Veterans affairs Medical Center, Montana (looking 

south) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 63. Photograph of Building 154, Fort Harrison Veterans affairs Medical Center, Montana (looking 

west) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph).
67

Figure 64. Photograph of Building 154, Fort Harrison Veterans affairs Medical Center, Montana (looking 

southeast) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 65. Photograph of Building 154, Fort Harrison Veterans affairs Medical Center, Montana (looking 

northwest) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions 

The building is located on a level site with the first floor at the level of the exterior grade. 

The building is founded on relatively soft soils of varying depths. 

The building is located in an area of high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures is 0.68 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.20 g.
68

Instrumentation

A total of 24 accelerometers are deployed in the building to measure its response to 

ground motion (fig. 66 and fig. 67). A triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is placed on 

the basement to measure the input ground motion. Two accelerometers (channels 4 and 5) are 

placed on the ceiling of the basement to monitor first-floor diaphragm motion in two orthogonal 

directions. Four accelerometers (channels 6 through 9) are placed on the ceiling of the first floor 

to measure floor lateral motion of the second floor. Another 15 accelerometers (channels 10 

through 23) are distributed on the ceiling of the second, third, and fourth floors. The 

accelerometers are placed at the same corner of the building at each level so that the relative 

floor displacements, and thus inter-story drifts, can be obtained. Floor torsional motion can be 

obtained from any pair of two likewise oriented accelerometers located on the same floor. 

Channels 13, 18, and 23 together with channels 10, 15, and 20 will be used to compute the 

relative motion of the west wing with respect to the main structure.

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component accelerometer 

located at a reference site (NSMP Station No. 7238), approximately 330 ft away from the 

building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the building’s earthquake 

response. 
69

Figure 66. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 154 of the Fort Harrison Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Montana (page 1 of 

2; see also fig. 67). 
70

Figure 67. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 154 of the Fort Harrison Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Montana (page 2 of 

2; see also fig. 66). 
71

NSMP Station 2028—Reno, Nevada: New Bed Building/Clinic, Building No.

12

Building Description

Building 12 of the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System (http://www.reno.va.gov/) in 

Reno, Nevada, is a six-story steel structure of approximately 109,143 ft2 (fig. 68 through fig. 70).

The structure was initially designed in 1995, and there have been no major modifications since it 

was built. The building has an irregular shape with rough base dimensions of 200 by 90 ft with a 

jagged perimeter on the ground level. Because of its irregular plan, it is very susceptible to 

torsion. The story heights are typically 15 ft with the exception of the ground and first floor 

being 12 ft. There is a section of the ground floor with an atrium. The lateral- and vertical-force 

resisting systems consists of steel moment resisting frames. The columns are supported by 

isolated spread footings. 

Figure 68. Photograph of Building 12, Reno Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nevada (front view) (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 
72

Figure 69. Photograph of Building 12, Reno Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nevada (looking northeast) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 70. Photograph of Building 12, Reno Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nevada (looking northwest) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
73

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.50 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.60 g. 

Instrumentation

This steel building has an unsymmetrical plan; therefore, significant torsion is expected 

to occur under strong ground shaking. To capture the building’s lateral, vertical and torsional

response, 36 accelerometers are distributed strategically in the building (fig. 71 and fig. 72). At 

the ground level, a triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is used to record base-level 

ground shaking in two horizontal and a vertical direction. Four accelerometers (channels 4 

through 7) are located at the first-floor level to measure the building’s response in two horizontal 

directions and compute floor torsional motion. The higher floors are instrumented likewise. The 

floor relative displacements can be computed from the recordings of the accelerometers located 

at the same corner of the building at different levels. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 2029), approximately 720 ft away

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the response of the 

building. 
74

Figure 71. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 36 sensors in Building 12 of the Reno Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nevada (page 1 of 2; see 

also fig. 72). 
75

Figure 72. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 36 sensors in Building 12 of the Reno Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nevada (page 2 of 2; see 

also fig. 71). 
76

NSMP Station 3096—San Juan, Puerto Rico: Nursing, Building No. 10

Building Description

Building 10 at the VA Caribbean Healthcare System (http://www.caribbean.va.gov/) in 

San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a two-story reinforced concrete structure (fig. 73 through fig. 75) 

covering approximately 63,900 ft2

. It serves as the nursing home and blind rehabilitation center. 

The structure has irregular plan shape with number of wings. The building was designed in 1986, 

and has not been modified since then. The typical story height of each floor is 14 ft 6 inches. 

Both the lateral- and vertical-force resisting systems consist of reinforced concrete frames and 

walls. The columns are supported by a foundation of isolated pile caps on piles. 

Figure 73. Photograph of Building 10, San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto Rico

(side view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
77

Figure 74. Photograph of Building 10, San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto Rico 

(front view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph by NSMP). 

Figure 75. Photograph of Building 10, San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto Rico 

(back side view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
78

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 0.87 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.29 g. 

Instrumentation

The building has two stories and a T-shape plan with three wings. To monitor 

translational and torsional responses of all three wings during a strong shaking, 12 

accelerometers are located strategically throughout the building (fig. 76). A triaxial 

accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is placed on the first-floor ground level. Four 

accelerometers (channels 4 through 7) are placed on the first-floor ceiling level to monitor 

second-floor diaphragm motion. Another five accelerometers (channels 8 through 12) are placed 

on the second-floor ceiling level to measure floor lateral and torsional motions of the roof. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a reference site (NSMP Station No. 3090), approximately 740 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the earthquake response 

of the building. 
79

Figure 76. Diagram of sensor layout showing 12 sensors in Building 10 of the Photograph of Building 10, San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs 

Medical Center, Puerto Rico. 
80

NSMP Station 3095—San Juan, Puerto Rico: New Bed Tower, Building No.

B30

Building Description

Building B30 in at the VA Caribbean Healthcare System (http://www.caribbean.va.gov/) 

in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was completed in 2011 and serves as a new bed tower. This reinforced 

concrete structure has a primarly rectangular shape with base dimensions of 285 by 105 ft. There 

is a small protrusion outward at the center of the northern side of the building and an offset of 

about 35 ft nearly halfway across its long span (fig. 77 and fig. 78). This structure has been 

measured to be approximately 230,000 ft2 and also has a basement below ground level in 

addition to the six stories above ground. The typical story height is 14 ft. Both the vertical- and 

lateral-force resisting systems consist of reinforced concrete moment resisting frames and shear 

walls. The foundation uses isolated spread footings to support the columns and shear walls. 

Figure 77. Photograph of Building 30, San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto Rico 

(front view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
81

Figure 78. Photograph of Building 30, San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto Rico 

(side view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 0.87 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.29 g. 

Instrumentation

The building B30 has six stories and a basement. A total of 24 accelerometers are 

deployed at eight levels in the building (fig. 79). A triaxial accelerometer is placed on the 

basement slab to measure the three component of input ground motion. Two accelerometers 

(channels 4 and 5) are placed on the ceiling of the basement to monitor first-floor diaphragm 

motions. Fifteen accelerometers (channels 6 through 20) are evenly distributed on the ceilings of 

the first floor through the fifth floor to measure floor lateral motion in the reference east-west 

and north-south directions. Floor torsional motions can be obtained from likewise oriented 

accelerometers on the same floor. The sixth floor ceiling is instrumented with four 

accelerometers (channels 21 through 24). Floor relative displacements, thus inter-story drifts, can 

be computed from the recordings of the accelerometers placed on each floor level at the 

reference south-east corner of the building. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a reference site (NSMP Station No. 3090), approximately 590 ft from 

the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the earthquake response of the 

building. 
82

Figure 79. Diagram of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building B30 of the San Juan Caribbean Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Puerto Rico. 
83

NSMP Station 7413—Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Main Hospital, Building 

No. 1 

Building Description

Building 1, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is the main hospital building at the 

Oklahoma City VA Medical Center (http://www.oklahoma.va.gov/). This 12-story structure (fig. 

80 through fig. 84) is about 854,780 ft2. It was designed in 1950 and has an irregular shape with 

two different units—Unit A and Unit B. Unit A is south of Unit B. Unit A has a long main 

rectangular wing that has two smaller, symmetric rectangular wings in both the southeast and 

southwest directions from the center of Unit A. The main wing of Unit A has the approximate 

dimensions of 36 by 174 ft. The two rectangular protrusions have approximate dimensions of 37 

by 59 ft. Unit B resembles a cross-like shape and has four wings in all four cardinal directions. 

The approximate dimensions for the north, south, east, and west wings are 78 by 36 ft, 41 by 38 

ft, 37 by 58 ft, and 43 by 117 ft, respectively. In the past, the building had several major 

retrofittings. Three seismic joints separate the two units into four major parts. This building is 

primarily constructed from reinforced concrete, although in many instances, steel beams are 

encased with concrete for added rigidity. Typical floor and roof construction consists of 

composite reinforced concrete slabs. The basement floor is a concrete slab on grade. Concrete 

walls and columns connect to the caisson caps of the pier foundation. 

Figure 80. Photograph of the Building 1, Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma (back 

side view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
84

Figure 81. Photograph of the Building 1, Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma (front 

view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 82. Photograph of the Building 1, Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma 

(entrance) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
85

Figure 83. Photograph of the Building 1, Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma (east 

side view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 84. Photograph of the Building 1, Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma (west 

side view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of moderate seismicity. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 0.34 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.74 g. 
86

Instrumentation

Building 1 consists of several major blocks separated by four major seismic joints. A 

total of 60 accelerometers are deployed in the building at each floor level to measure the 

significant response of the building during strong shaking (fig. 85 through fig. 87). The 

accelerometers are placed in the critical corners of each block so that both the lateral and 

torsional responses can be measured and computed. A triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 

3) is placed on the basement slab to measure the three components of input ground motion. 

Every floor of each major block is instrumented by at least three accelerometers to monitor 

lateral movement of each major block. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 7414), approximately 1,030 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the earthquake response 

of the building. 
87

Figure 85. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 96 sensors in Building 1 of the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma (page 1 of 

3; see also figs. 86 and 87). 
88

Figure 86. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 96 sensors in Building 1 of the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma (page 2 of 

3; see also figs. 86 and 87). 
89

Figure 87. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 96 sensors in Building 1 of the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma (page 3 of 

3; see also figs. 85 and 86).
90

NSMP Station 7057—Roseburg, Oregon: Main Hospital, Building No. 1 

Building Description

Building 1 is located at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center campus in 

Roseburg, Oregon, and is listed as a historic structure by the VA (fig. 88 and fig. 89). The 

structure was originally constructed in 1932 and was remodeled in 1974, 1981, and 1991. 

Building 1 is a five-story structure with a pipe basement of approximately 123,320 ft2. It is used 

primarily as an inpatient hospital and has facilities for outpatient rehabilitation and therapy in the 

VA Roseburg Healthcare System (http://www.roseburg.va.gov/). 

Building 1 is a reinforced concrete frame building with unreinforced masonry infill walls. 

The building is T shaped in plan for the first two stories and rectangular in plan for the remaining 

stories. The approximate overall dimensions are 278 by 213 ft. The story heights are 13 ft, 12 ft, 

12 ft, 12.5 ft, and 12.5 ft for the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth stories, respectively. There is 

an unfinished pipe basement approximately 6 ft below the first floor. There are no structures 

immediately adjacent to Building 1.

The floors consist of concrete pan joist slabs (fig. 90) that are supported by reinforcedconcrete beams and columns. The main roof and penthouse roof are wood framed (fig. 91), 

supported at the perimeter by concrete beams, and supported on the interior with structural steel 

beams and posts. The interior and exterior columns are founded on individual spread footings, 

and the masonry walls are founded on concrete strip footings. The ground floor consists of the 

unfinished basement. 

The building’s lateral-force resisting system consists of a nonductile reinforced concrete 

frame with 8-inch thick perimeter infill walls of unreinforced brick masonry (fig. 92). The 

perimeter masonry infill walls have many openings. The concrete walls below the ground floor 

around the perimeter transfer lateral loads to the foundation. The floor diaphragms are reinforced 

concrete slabs that typically span between the interior columns and exterior masonry walls. The 

roof diaphragm consists of one layer of straight sheathing and spans between the perimeter walls 

and interior lines of wood framing that are braced with wood posts. 

The exterior face of the building consists of a layer of unreinforced brick. Many of the 

interior partitions consist of hollow clay tile, except in areas of remodeling. In these areas,

hollow clay tile has been replaced with metal lath and plaster and metal studs.

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions 

The building sits on a level site with the ground floor at approximately 3 ft above the 

level of the exterior grade. The building is founded on relatively stiff soils of varying depths. The 

susceptibility of the site to settlement due to earthquake-induced liquefaction is assumed to be 

low.

The building is located in an area of high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 0.83 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.42 g. 

Instrumentation

A total of 36 accelerometers are deployed in the building (fig. 94 and fig. 95). A triaxial 

accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is placed on the first-floor ground level to measure the 

three components of input ground motion. The first- and second-floor ceilings are instrumented 

with five accelerometers each (channels 4 through 13) to measure floor lateral motion and 
91

compute floor and torsional motion. Eight accelerometers (channels 14 through 21) are placed on 

the third-floor ceiling to monitor forth floor diaphragm motion. The fifth floor ceiling is 

monitored by six accelerometers—three are oriented in the reference east-west direction and 

three sensors are oriented in the reference north-south direction. A triaxial accelerometer 

(channels 28 through 30) together with six other accelerometers (channels 31 through 36) is 

placed on the fourth-floor ceiling level to measure floor lateral and vertical motion at the roof 

level. This added vertical sensor will allow for studying vertical wave propagation in the 

building. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a reference site (NSMP Station No. 7058), approximately 1,410 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the earthquake response 

of the building (fig. 93). 

Figure 88. Photograph of Building 1, Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (front view) (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 
92

Figure 89. Photograph of Building 1, Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (looking west) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 90. Photograph of typical floor slab, viewed from below, in Building 1, Roseburg Veterans Affairs 

Medical Center, Oregon (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs photograph).
93

Figure 91. Photograph of roof framing in Building 1, Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon

(U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs photograph). 

Figure 92. Photograph of Building 1, Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (looking north) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
94

Figure 93. Photograph of reference station to measure ground shaking on Roseburg Veterans Affairs 

Medical Center, Oregon, away from Building 1 (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
95

Figure 94. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 36 sensors in Building 1 of the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon, (page 1 of 2; see 

also fig. 95). 
96

Figure 95. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 36 sensors in Building 1 of the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon, (page 2 of 2; see 

also fig. 94).
97

NSMP Station 7059—White City, Oregon: Primary Care Clinic, Building No.

201

Building Description

Building 201, of the VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center

(http://www.southernoregon.va.gov/), is a two-story concrete and masonry structure (fig. 96

through fig. 98), located in White City, Oregon. This building has an irregular floor plan 

resembling one large rectangle attached to a smaller one. The dimensions for the main part of the 

building are 60 by 225 ft. The smaller section that is attached to the northeast side of the main 

wing has dimensions of 45 by 85 ft. The building has an area of 27,069 ft2. 

Figure 96. Photograph of Building 201, White City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (front view) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
98

Figure 97. Photograph of Building 201, White City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (looking 

northeast) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 98. Photograph of Building 201, White City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (looking east) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of moderate seismicity. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 0.58 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.26 g. 
99

Instrumentation

A total of 11 accelerometers are deployed in the building to measure its lateral motion 

(fig. 99). A triaxial accelerometer is placed on the first-floor ground level to measure the three 

components of input ground motion. Eight accelerometers are distributed at the corners of the 

building to measure floor translational motion and compute floor torsional response to input 

ground shaking. Five accelerometers (channels 4 through 8) are placed on the first-floor ceiling 

level to monitor the second floor. The second-floor ceiling is equipped with three accelerometers 

(channels 9 through 11) to measure roof-diaphragm motions. The floor relative displacement can 

be computed from the accelerometers located at the same corners of the building. Floor torsional 

motion can also be obtained from two likewise oriented accelerometers at the same level. 
100

Figure 99. Diagram of sensor layout showing 11 sensors in Building 201 of the White City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon.
101

NSMP Station 2191—Portland, Oregon: Main Hospital, Building No. 100

Building Description

Building 100 is located at the Portland VA Medical Center (http://www.portland.va.gov/) 

in Portland, Oregon (fig. 100 and fig. 101). It was designed in 1982 using the H-08-8 VA 

seismic-design standard specifications for essential facilities. Construction was completed in 

1988 and the building has not been significantly modified since then. 

The building serves as the facility’s main hospital. It is a nine-story structure with a 

penthouse. There is an interstitial level between every main level and the two basement levels. 

Total square footage is approximately 684,985 ft2

. 

The general building type is a steel-braced frame structure. It is roughly H shaped in plan 

with a central seismic joint bisecting the building into two discrete rectangular-shaped sections. 

Approximate overall dimensions are 410 by 300 ft. From the ground level upwards, floors are 

stepped back, creating a roughly tiered shape in section. Floor-to-ceiling heights at the main 

levels are generally 11 ft, and interstitial story heights are 8 ft. The penthouse story height is 

approximately 18 ft. 

The gravity system consists of main floors and roof composed of concrete on metal 

decking supported by steel beams and columns. The interstitial floors are lightweight vermiculite 

concrete suspended from the main floors above and (or) connected to the columns at the 

interstitial level. In addition, the floors are connected to the braces themselves where braced 

frames pierce the interstitial floors. The foundation system is steel-pipe piles with reinforced 

concrete pile caps connected by reinforced concrete grade beams.

The building’s lateral-force resisting system consists of steel-braced frames that transfer 

lateral loads to the pile foundations. The main floor and roof diaphragms are reinforced concrete 

on metal decking with 3/4-inch-diameter stud connections. The exterior face of the building 

consists of ceramic veneer wall panels and glass.

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions 

The building is located on a sloping site on the side of a hill, with the exterior grade 

approximately level with the first floor at the east and south sides, sloping down to the lower 

basement level at the north and west sides. Piles are founded in fractured and weathered basalt, 

which lies beneath relatively stiff soils. 

The building is located in an area of high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.00 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.35 g.

Instrumentations

A total of 39 accelerometers are deployed at 12 levels in the building (fig. 102). A triaxial 

accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is placed on the basement level 2 to measure the input 

ground motion. Three accelerometers (channels 4 through 6) are placed on the ceiling of the 

basement level 2. Twelve accelerometers (channels 7 through 18) are similarly distributed on the 

ceilings of basement level 1 and the first and second floors to monitor slab motions. The 

accelerometers are located near the floor edges and oriented parallel to the building sides. The 

total area of the upper floors is smaller than the lower levels; therefore, upper floors are 
102

instrumented with three accelerometers each. Twenty-one accelerometers (channels 19 through

39) are evenly distributed on the ceilings of the third floor through the ninth floor. The 

recordings of these accelerometers provide measurements of lateral floor motion around the 

reference east-west and north-south directions, as well as the floor torsional motion around the 

vertical axis. The accelerometers at different floor levels are located at the same corner of the 

building so that the relative displacement, thus inter-story drift between floors, can be obtained. 

Figure 100. Photograph of Building 100, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (back side view)

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
103

Figure 101. Photographs of Building 100, Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon (side views) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph).
Figure 102. Diagram of sensor layout showing 39 sensors in Building 100 of the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oregon. 
105

NSMP Station 2561—Charleston, South Carolina: Main Hospital, Building 

No. 1 

Building Description

Building 1 at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center (http://www.charleston.va.gov/) 

in Charleston, South Carolina, is approximately 453,616 ft2 (fig. 103 and fig. 105). This 

reinforced concrete building was initially designed in 1963 and underwent renovations to correct 

its seismic deficiencies in 1980. The building has an irregular shape that resembles a shape like a 

“T.” The main wing of the structure is 71 by 263 ft. There are two different wings on both the 

east and west sides of the central wing. The east and west wings are separated by seismic joints 

from the central wing. Both the east and west wings are symmetrical and have the dimensions of 

101.5 by 71.5 ft. The protrusion from the middle of the central wing is 97 by 62 ft. This structure 

is five stories tall and has a typical story height of 12 ft, with the only exception of the first floor, 

which is 14 ft tall. Typical floor and the roof construction consist of composite reinforced 

concrete slabs supported by reinforced concrete columns. The concrete columns are supported by 

a foundation of piles and pile caps. The buildings lateral- and vertical-force resisting systems 

consist of shear walls in both directions and reinforced concrete frames. 

 

Figure 103. Photograph of Building 1, Charleston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, South Carolina (front 

view) (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs photograph). 
106

Figure 104. Photograph of Building 1, Charleston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, South Carolina (back 

side view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 105. Photograph of Building 1, Charleston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, South Carolina (side 

view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.49 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.36 g.

Instrumentation

Building 1 consists of three blocks (A, B, C) separated by two seismic joints. Each block 

has a T-shape plan. A total of 48 accelerometers are deployed at six levels in the building to 
107

measure its response to ground shaking (fig. 106 and fig. 107). The accelerometers are 

strategically located at the corners of the building at each floor level to measure translational 

motion and compute torsional responses of each block and wing. A triaxial accelerometer 

(channels 1 through 3) is placed on the ground-floor level to measure the three components of

input ground motion. Eight accelerometers (channels 4 through 11) are placed on the groundfloor ceiling level to monitor the first-floor slab. Thirty-seven accelerometers are similarly 

distributed on the ceilings of the first through the fifth floors to measure the translational motions 

of the slabs. At least three accelerometers are placed on the each floor so that floor torsional 

motion can be computed. For each block, the floor relative displacements, thus inter-story drifts, 

can be obtained at two different points along the same vertical axis. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 2553), approximately 165 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the earthquake response 

of the building. 
108

Figure 106. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 48 sensors in Building 1 of the Charleston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, South Carolina (page 1 of 

2; see also fig. 107). 
109

Figure 107. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 48 sensors in Building 1 of the Charleston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, South Carolina (page 2 of 

2; see also fig. 106).
110

NSMP Station 7411—Memphis, Tennessee: Spinal-Chord Injury, Building 

No. 7 

Building Description

Building 7 at the Memphis VA Medical Center (http://www.memphis.va.gov/) in 

Memphis, Tennessee, is a three-story reinforced concrete structure that is approximately 314,903 

ft2 (fig. 108 through fig. 110). This building is used primarily for treating spinal-cord injury 

patients. The building has an irregular plan with base dimensions of 151 ft 10 inches and 294 ft 8 

inches. In the center of the building is a square courtyard. The basement has a height of 8 ft 4 

inches. The first floor has a height of approximately 16 ft, and the second floor has a height of 13 

ft 8 inches. The buildings lateral- and vertical-force resisting systems consist of reinforced 

concrete frames. The floor and roof construction consists of composite reinforced concrete slabs. 

The basement floor is a concrete slab on grade. 

Figure 108. Photograph of Building 7, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (entrance)

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
111

Figure 109. Photograph of Building 7, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (looking 

northwest) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 110. Photograph of Building 7, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (looking west) 

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.34 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.37 g. 
112

Instrumentation

A total of 12 accelerometers are deployed in the building to measure its lateral motion in 

reference east-west and north-south directions (fig. 111 and fig. 112). A triaxial accelerometer 

(channels 1 through 3) is placed on the basement slab to measure the three components of input 

ground motion. Nine accelerometers (channels 4 through 12) are placed on the ceilings of the 

basement, first, and second floors to measure slab lateral motions. The reference southwest 

corner of the building has an accelerometer (channels 4, 7, and 10) oriented in the weak direction 

at each floor level. The relative floor displacement, thus inter-story drifts, at this corner can be 

computed from these accelerometers. Similarly, the reference southeast corner of the building 

has two accelerometers (channels 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, and 12) at each floor so that the floor relative 

displacement at this corner can be computed. The floor torsion can be obtained from two 

likewise oriented accelerometers on the same floor. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a reference site (NSMP Station No. 7412), approximately 590 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the earthquake response 

of the building. 
113

Figure 111. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 12 sensors in Building 7 of the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (page 1 of 2; 

see also fig. 112). 
114

Figure 112. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 12 sensors in Building 7 of the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (page 2 of 2; 

see also fig. 111).
115

NSMP Station 7410—Memphis, Tennessee: Bed Tower, Building No. 1A

Building Description

Building 1A at the Memphis VA Medical Center (http://www.memphis.va.gov/) in 

Memphis, Tennessee, is a bed tower with six stories covering 654,118 ft2

. This reinforced 

concrete structure, built in 2000, has a square plan with indentations pointing inwards at the 

corners (fig. 113 through fig. 115). There is also a courtyard in the northern center side of the 

building. Additionally, there is an L-shaped opening from starting on the second floor on the 

southern center side of the building, reaching to the top of the structure. The vertical- and lateralforce resisting systems are comprised of reinforced concrete moment resisting frames and shear 

walls. 

Figure 113. Photograph of Building 1A, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 
116

Figure 114. Photograph of Building 1A, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (looking 

north) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 115. Photograph of Building 1A, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (looking 

southeast) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
117

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.34 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.37 g. 

Instrumentation

A total of 24 accelerometers are deployed at seven levels in the building (fig. 116 through 

fig. 118). A triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is placed on the ground floor to 

measure the three components of input ground motion. The accelerometers are placed at the 

corners of the building oriented parallel the building’s sides. Four accelerometers (channels 4 

through 7) are placed on the ceiling of the basement to measure the building response at three 

corners. The first-floor ceiling is instrumented with three accelerometers (channels 8 through 

10). Four accelerometers (channels 11 through 14) are placed on the ceiling of the second floor 

at three corners to measure floor lateral response in the reference east-west and north-south 

directions. The ceilings of the third and fourth floor are similarly instrumented with three 

accelerometers each to monitor slab movement. Four accelerometers are placed on the fifth-floor 

ceiling level to measure roof lateral motion. The floor torsional motion can be obtained from two 

likewise oriented accelerometers on the same floor. The floor relative displacements and interstory drifts can be computed from the accelerometers located at the same corner of the building 

along the same vertical axis. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a reference site (NSMP Station No. 7412), approximately 330 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the earthquake response 

of the building. 
118

Figure 116. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 1A of the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (page 1 of 3; 

see also figs. 117 and 118). 
119

Figure 117. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 1A of the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (page 2 of 3; 

see also figs. 116 and 118). 
120

Figure 118. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 1A of the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tennessee (page 3 of 3; 

see also figs. 116 and 117).
121

NSMP Station 7237—Salt Lake City, Utah: Main Hospital, Building No. 14

Building Description

Building 14 of the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System

(http://www.saltlakecity.va.gov/) in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a four-story structure that is 

approximately 209,723 ft2

 (fig. 119). The building resembles a rectangular shape with 

irregularities on its south and west sides. The building’s floor and roof consists of composite 

reinforced concrete slabs. This building resists lateral and vertical forces through the use of 

reinforced concrete walls added to façade. 

Figure 119. Photograph of Building 14, Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Utah (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions

Geotechnical testing was performed in 2010 on the building site. The boreholes that were 

dug to 32 ft deep on site showed that the surface of the site is asphalt underlain by 4.5 ft of fill 

material. The fill material encountered consists of sands and gravels mixed with small amounts 

of silt and clay. Beneath the asphalt and fill material are alternating layers of silty clay and 

silty/clayey fine to coarse sand and fine coarse gravel. No ground water was discovered. 

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 1.58 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.63 g.

Instrumentation

A total of 24 accelerometers are deployed in the building to measure and compute its 

lateral and torsional motion (fig. 120 and fig. 121). A triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 

3) is placed on the basement slab to measure the three components of input ground motion. 

Another two accelerometers oriented vertically (channels 4 and 5) are also placed on the 

basement slab near two corners of the building. The rocking motion of the building about the 

reference east-west and north-south directions can be obtained from vertically oriented 

accelerometers in the basement. The basement ceiling is instrumented with three accelerometers 

(channels 6 through 8) to monitor first-floor motions. Similarly, four accelerometers (channels 9 

through 12) are placed on the first-floor ceiling level to measure lateral motions of the second 

floor. The floor lateral motions in reference east-west and north-south directions can be captured 

by a pair of accelerometers: Channels 10 and 11 will define the reference north-south lateral 
122

motion, and channels 9 and 12 will define the reference east-west lateral motion. The torsional 

motion of the floor can be obtained from either channels 10 and 11 or channels 9 and 12. Twelve 

accelerometers are placed on the ceilings of the second floor through the fourth floor in a similar 

manner to measure floor lateral and compute torsional motions. The floor relative displacements 

and inter-story drifts can also be computed from accelerometers located at same corner of the 

building at different elevations. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 7238), approximately 330 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the earthquake response 

of the building. 
123

Figure 120. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 14 of the Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Utah (page 1 of 2; 

see also fig. 121). 
124

Figure 121. Diagrams of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 14 of the Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Utah (page 2 of 2; 

see also fig. 120).
125

NSMP Station 7600—Richmond, Virginia: Main Hospital, Building No. 500

Building Description

Building 500, located in Richmond, Virginia, is part of the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA 

Medical Center (http://www.richmond.va.gov/). This 260,000-ft2

 building is a five-story steel 

structure (fig. 122). The original structure was designed in 1978 and has not been modified 

heavily since. The structure has an irregular plan shape with several vertical offsets. A system of 

three seismic joints is used in strategic parts of the building to isolate different sections. The plan 

for each level is different as the building narrows down near the roof. The typical story height is 

18 ft. The vertical- and lateral-load resisting system is composed of steel frames. The foundation 

of the structure consists of isolated square footings. 

Figure 122. Photograph of Building 1, Richmond Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Virginia (U.S. Geological 

Survey photograph). 

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions 

Geotechnical tests were conducted on site in 1977. The borehole data shows that the soil 

stratigraphy of the site consisted of clayey silt on top followed by dense coarse to fine sand with 

some gravel and silty clay matrix. Under that layer is coarse to medium sand and gravel with 

traces of clay. This layer is then followed by a loose to medium dense clayey fine sand and silt. 

Below this layer is a layer of stiff silty clay. 

The building is located in an area of moderately low seismicity. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 0.22 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.10 g.
126

Instrumentation

The building consists of several blocks separated by seismic joints. The two blocks in the 

middle have five stories, and other blocks rise up to the second-floor level. Therefore, a 

considerable number of accelerometers are deployed in the two middle blocks to capture overall 

response of the building during a possible earthquake. A total of 36 accelerometers (fig. 123 and 

fig. 124) are placed in the building. A triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is placed on 

the basement slab level to measure the three components of the input ground motion. Three 

accelerometers (channels 4 through 6) are placed on basement-floor ceiling level to monitor firstfloor slab movement. Thirty accelerometers (channels 7 through 36) are evenly distributed on the 

ceilings of the first through the fifth floors to measure floor lateral motions and compute floor 

torsional motions. The floor relative displacements and inter-story drifts can be computed from 

accelerometers located at the same corner of the building along the same vertical axis. 

The building accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 7600), approximately 1,640 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the earthquake response 

of the building. 
127

Figure 123. Diagram of the sensor layout showing 36 sensors in Building 500 of the Richmond Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Virginia (page 1 of 2; 

see also fig. 124). 
128

Figure 124. Diagram of the sensor layout showing 36 sensors in Building 500 of the Richmond Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Virginia (page 2 of 2; 

see also fig. 123).
129

NSMP Station 2129—Seattle, Washington: Main Hospital Diagnosis and

Treatment Wing, Building No. 100

Building Description

Building 100 is located at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System

(http://www.pugetsound.va.gov/) in Seattle, Washington (fig. 125 and fig. 126). It was designed 

in 1980 using VA Handbook H-08-8, Earthquake Resistant Design Requirements for VA 

Hospital Facilities. Construction was completed in 1981, and later the structure was retrofitted.

The building is a four-story structure with one basement level and an interstitial floor between 

each aboveground story. The total floor area of the building is approximately 250,000 ft2. The 

gross area including interstitial floors is 665,319 ft2. 

The general building type is a combination of steel moment frames in the transverse 

direction and steel-braced frames in the longitudinal direction. The building is rectangular in plan 

with a stepped-back elevation, designed to accommodate a future expansion. The overall 

dimensions are 380 by 180 ft. Floor-to-floor heights are 18 ft, and floor-to-ceiling heights are

approximately 10 ft. The building has adjacent buildings on three sides with a 3 inches seismic 

joint separating each adjacent building. 

The gravity system consists of a 4.5-inch concrete slab over a 2-inch metal deck

supported by W21 floor beams, W36 girders, and steel wide-flange columns. The interstitial 

floors are poured gypsum concrete decks suspended by steel hanger rods from the main floors 

above. It appears that the gypsum concrete floor is cast around the steel columns. The foundation 

system consists of spread footings and concrete basement walls with most interior columns 

supported on spread footings. The basement floor is a concrete slab on grade.

The building’s lateral-force resisting system consists of 2 lines of steel-braced frames in 

the longitudinal direction and 11 lines of steel moment frames in the transverse direction. The 

main floor and roof diaphragms are a reinforced concrete-metal deck system with 3⁄4 inchdiameter shear-stud connectors on the steel floor beams. 

The exterior curtain wall system is a metal panel system with glazing at each main floor 

level. The interior partitions are typically metal stud and drywall, and the ceiling consists of 

lightweight suspended acoustical tiles. 

 

 
130

Figure 125. Photograph of Building 100, Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 126. Photograph of Building 100, Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington (back side 

view) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
131

Seismic-Hazard and Soil Conditions 

The building is located on a relatively flat site with the ground floor at the level of the 

exterior grade. The soil conditions at the building site are not known. 

The building is located in an area of very high seismic hazard. Using the 2003 NEHRP 

seismic maps, the short-period spectral acceleration, SS, is 1.53 g and the long-period spectral 

acceleration, S1, is 0.53 g.

Instrumentation

A total of 27 accelerometers are deployed at eight levels in the building (fig. 127). A 

triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is placed on the basement to measure the three 

components of input ground motion. Twenty-one accelerometers (channels 7 through 27) are 

evenly distributed on the ceilings of the first through seventh floors to measure floor lateral 

motion in the reference east-west and north-south directions. Floor torsional motion can be 

obtained from likewise oriented accelerometers located on the same floor. The reference 

southwest corner of the building has two accelerometers oriented parallel to the building sides at 

each floor level. The relative floor displacements, thus inter-story drift, can be computed from 

the recordings of these accelerometers. The reference southeast corner of the building also has an 

accelerometer at each floor level. The relative floor displacements can be similarly computed at 

this corner of the building. 

The building’s accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 2130), approximately 330 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the earthquake response 

of the building. 
132

Figure 127. Diagram of sensor layout showing 27 sensors in Building 100 of the Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington. 
133

NSMP Station 7061—Vancouver, Washington: Barnes Rehabilitation 

Building, Building No. 11

Building Description

Building 11 at the Portland VA Medical Center (http://www.portland.va.gov/) in 

Vancouver, Washington, is a three-story steel braced frame structure that is approximately 

133,263 ft2 (fig. 128 through fig. 130). The building was initially designed in 1990 and has not 

been significantly modified since its conception. This building, serving as the main hospital 

building on the campus, consists of three wings that are separated by two seismic joints. Wing A 

has a somewhat rectangular floor plan with approximate dimensions of 125 by 145 ft. Wing A is 

located on the north side of the building. The two seismic joints that connect Wing B and Wing 

C to Wing A are located at the Wing’s south side and at the northwest side. Wing B also carries a 

somewhat rectangular shape and has the approximate dimensions of 259 by 85 ft. Wing C is 

shaped like a Y. The dimensions of both the southwest and the northwest protrusions of Wing C 

are 120 by 69 ft and 64 ft 7 inches by 149 ft 4 inches, respectively. These two protrusions are 

located a distance of 75 ft 4 inches away from the seismic joint southwest of Wing A. Wings B 

and C are only one story at 12 ft high. Wing A goes up three stories; the first story is 10 ft 10 

inches high, the second story is 11 ft 2 inches high, and the third story is 24 ft 4 inches high. 

Figure 128. Photograph of Building 11, Vancouver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington (entrance)

(U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
134

Figure 129. Photograph of Building 11, Vancouver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington (looking 

west) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 130. Photograph of Building 11, Vancouver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington (looking 

east) (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

This building’s lateral- and vertical-force resisting systems consist of steel momentresisting frames. Typical roof and floor construction consists of reinforced concrete composite 

slabs. The foundation of this structure rests on isolated spread footings. 
135

Seismic-Hazard Conditions

The building is located in an area of high seismic hazard. The short-period spectral 

acceleration, SS, using the current NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations of 

new buildings and other structures, is 0.89 g. The long-period spectral acceleration, S1, is 0.32 g.

Instrumentation

Building 11 has an asymmetrical floor plan; therefore, some level of torsional response is 

expected to occur under strong ground shaking. To capture the building’s earthquake response, 

and possible pounding during an earthquake by adjacent wings, which are separated by seismic 

joints, 24 accelerometers are distributed strategically between the three-story main building and 

two adjacent single-story wood-frame wings (fig. 131). At the first-floor level of the main 

building, a triaxial accelerometer (channels 1 through 3) is to record base-level input ground 

shaking in two horizontal and one vertical direction. Each floor of Wing A, B, and C has at least 

three accelerometers; therefore, the floor lateral and torsional motion can be obtained. 

The building’s accelerometers are complemented by a three-component seismic 

accelerometer located at a free-field site (NSMP Station No. 7062), approximately 330 ft away 

from the building, to monitor ground shaking without interference from the earthquake response 

of the building. 
136

Figure 131. Diagram of sensor layout showing 24 sensors in Building 11 of the Vancouver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington.
137

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank USGS National Strong Motion Project staff, including James 

Smith, Arnie Acosta, Edna Anjal, Jonah Merrit, Walt Junglut, and Kent Fogleman, for their 

dedication and efforts at every step of the project. We also wish to thank James Blair for 

preparing the layout map, Scott Haefner for developing the project Website, Chris Stephens, 

Keith Knudsen, and Brad Aagard for reviewing this report and providing their constructive 

comments and suggestions. Finally, sincere thanks are extended to the VA engineering staff for 

their continuous support. Funding for this project was provided by the U.S. Department of 

Veterans Affairs.

References Cited

Boore, D.M., Joyner, W.B., and Fumal, T.E., 1997, Equations for estimating horizontal response 

spectra and peak acceleration from western North American earthquakes—A summary of 

recent work: Seismological Research Letters, v. 68, p. 128–153. 

Kalkan, E., Fletcher, J.P.B., Leith, W.S., McCarthy, J., and Krishna, B., 2012a, Real-time 

seismic monitoring of instrumented hospital buildings: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 

2012–3028, 2 p., available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2012/3028/. 

Kalkan, E., Banga, K., Ulusoy, H.S., Fletcher, J.P.B., Leith, W.S., and Blair, J.L., 2012b, 

Helping safeguard Veterans Affairs’ hospital buildings by advanced earthquake monitoring: 

U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2012-3094, 2 p. available at 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2012/3094/. 

Ulusoy, H., Kalkan E., Fletcher, J.P.B., Leith, W.K. and Banga, K., 2012, Design and 

implementation of a structural health monitoring and alerting system for hospital buildings in 

the United States: Proceedings of the 15th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, , 

Lisbon, Portugal, September 24–28, 2012, paper no. 4474. 
138

Appendix A: Hardware for Earthquake Monitoring

The following hardware is used for instrumenting hospital buildings. The details of each 

component are provided in the subsequent sections. 

• Motion sensors 

• Digital recorder with internal batteries and charger

• Cables (data, Global Positioning System (GPS), and telemetry)

• GPS antenna 

• Cellular modem antenna (if needed)

Motion Sensors 

The typical motion sensor used in free-field stations is a triaxial force-balance 

accelerometer (FBA); the same sensor is also used in medical buildings together with its uniaxial 

version (fig. 132). FBAs used are designed for measuring accelerations as large as ±4 g and as 

low as the ambient noise level from 1 Hz to 200 Hz. No micro-electro-mechanical-systems 

(MEMS)-based sensors were used because their noise level is currently too high for structuralhealth monitoring applications in hospitals. 

Figure 132. Photograph of uniaxial force-balance accelerometers installed on a mounting plate (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 

Recorders

To record accelerations measured by sensors, Internet Protocol (IP)-based 24-bit 

multichannel digital recorders (digitizers) are used (fig. 133). These recorders have high dynamic 

range on as many as 36 channels offering multiple real-time data streams. They also allow for 
139

remote access through a Web browser to change operational parameters, change recording and

telemetry modes and formats, and to view or retrieve recorded files. Sampling rate in all 

recorders is set to 200 samples per second (sps). Recorders have internal batteries for back up 

power and use the Internet for telemetry. 

Figure 133. Photograph of 24-bit digital Internet Protocol (IP)-based recorder with batteries and charger 

installed within a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) cabinet (U.S. Geological 

Survey photograph). 

Within medical buildings, recorders are generally located at a level close to the roof or a 

outside wall for the shortest possible run to facilitate the installation of the GPS antenna for 

absolute timing for records (fig. 134). 
140

Figure 134. Photograph of Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna installed at the roof level of a medical 

building for absolute timing (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Cables

Custom made USGS cable is used to connect sensors to central recorders. This cable has

four pairs of 22 AWG (American wire gauge) stranded (7×30) and tinned copper wires. Each 

pair of wires is individually shielded (fig. 135). In addition to the four pairs, there are three 

individual 20 AWG stranded conductors (7×28), which are non-shielded tinned copper. The 

outer cable jacket is plenum rated and has an overall foil shield with a 20 AWG stranded drain 

wire. The outside jacket of the cable is red in color and has the following printed in addition to 

the standard National Electrical Code (NEC) plenum cable nomenclature, “(CAUTION! USGS 

Seismic monitoring cable, DO NOT CUT!).” Cable is manufactured as a spool of 1,000 ft, which 

is enough to connect a single sensor without splicing. No cable splicing is used in installations. 

Also for GPS antennas, low-loss coaxial communications cable (LMR 400) is used. 
141

Figure 135. Photographs of custom-made U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cable used for connecting 

accelerometers to recorders. Top, red-jacketed cable printed with the words “(CAUTION! USGS 

Seismic monitoring cable, DO NOT CUT!).” Bottom, cable with jacket removed showing four pairs of 

individually shielded 22 AWG (American wire gauge) stranded (7×30) and tinned copper wires, as well 

as three individual 20 AWG stranded conductors (7×28) that are non-shielded tinned copper (U.S. 

Geological Survey photograph). 

Appendix B: Free-Field and Reference Stations 

VA medical buildings have a dedicated free-field station (fig. 136) or a reference station, 

where a triaxial accelerometer and a recorder are installed to measure ground motion away from 

the structures. The reference station is a single story light-weight structure as shown in figure 

137. Free-field stations use a “T-hut” mounted on a concrete foundation, details of which are 

shown in figure 138. 
142

Figure 136. Photograph of a typical free-field station where a triaxial accelerometer and a recorder are 

installed to measure ground motion at Veterans Affairs medical centers away from structures that are 

being seismically monitored (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 

Figure 137. Photograph of a typical reference station where a triaxial accelerometer and a recorder are 

installed to measure ground motion at Veterans Affairs medical centers away from structures that are 

being seismically monitored (U.S. Geological Survey photograph). 
143

Figure 138. Foundation details for free-field ground-motion recording stations.