Engineering Aspects of the September 19, 1985 Mexico Earthquake (NBS BSS 165)

Following the September 19, 1985 Mexico earthquake, a team consisting of four engineers and one seismologist from the Naitonal Bureau of Standards (NBS)and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) was dispateched to Mexico City to provide technical advice to the U.S. rescue effort and to assess structural damage. This report is primarily based on data gathered by the team, but it also contains a comilation of other available information. The report addresses the origin and characteristics of the observed ground motion, the ability of buildings designed in accordance with present and proposed seismic design provisions to resist this type of ground motion, and observed data on structural and foundation failures.