Return Period of Recorded Ground Motion

Ground motions recorded during earthquakes are often used to assess the seismic performance of structures affected by those ground motions. However, it is necessary to first establish the return period of the recorded ground motion, because structures are expected to perform better for frequently occurring ground motions than for rare ground motions. A systematic approach is presented to establish the return period of ground motion recorded at the base of the Templeton Community Hospital during the 2003 San Simeon California Earthquake. A similar approach can be used for any other ground motion.