Shear Wave Velocity Map

About the Program

Category: Planning (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

The Clark County Shear Wave velocity map was envisioned to provide broad access to seismic shear wave velocity data (also referred to as V30) for the Las Vegas valley and various other outlying areas within unincorporated Clark County. Information contained within the map has two primary beneficial uses. First, the data were utilized to produce a seismic site class map that provided a key piece of information necessary for the design of new structures and additions, alterations, or repairs of existing structures. The function of the map is a benefit to the citizens and visitors of Clark County who should expect that the built environment can safely resist seismic forces. Second, the data provide a valuable research and development asset that will assist seismologists, geologists, and policy makers by providing a more comprehensive and locally specific understanding of how regional soils will potentially respond to ground motion. This function of the map will be a benefit to the community as a whole because the map will enable planning and evaluation based upon this previously unavailable dataset. The data, research, and discoveries that this project has fostered have helped to provide a valuable resource to the community by allowing generally less restrictive seismic site class values for most of the mapped areas. A further benefit of this program is that Clark County planners can now feel confident that more volatile seismic sites are not likely to exist within the county.