  The analysis of site effects is very important since the amplification of
seismic motion in some specific areas can be very strong. In this paper, the
site considered is located in the centre of Nice on the French Riviera. Site
effects are investigated considering a numerical approach (Boundary Element
Method) and are compared to experimental results (weak motion and
microtremors). The investigation of seismic site effects through numerical
approaches is interesting because it shows the dependency of the amplification
level on such parameters as wave velocity in surface soil layers, velocity
contrast with deep layers, seismic wave type, incidence and damping. In this
specific area of Nice, a one-dimensional (1D) analytical analysis of
amplification does not give a satisfactory estimation of the maximum reached
levels. A boundary element model is then proposed considering different wave
types (SH, P, SV) as the seismic loading. The alluvial basin is successively
assumed as an isotropic linear elastic medium and an isotropic linear
viscoelastic solid (standard solid). The thickness of the surface layer, its
mechanical properties, its general shape as well as the seismic wave type
involved have a great influence on the maximum amplification and the frequency
for which it occurs. For real earthquakes, the numerical results are in very
good agreement with experimental measurements for each motion component.
Two-dimensional basin effects are found to be very strong and are well
reproduced numerically.
