La mesure et la modélisation des concentrations en $^{36}$Cl accumulé au sein d'un plan de faille normal permet d'estimer l'âge et le glissement des forts séismes passés ayant successivement exhumé ce plan de faille. Si cette méthode présente l'avantage de fournir des enregistrements paléo-sismologiques continus sur des périodes de temps relativement longues (10 000 à 20 000 ans), la modélisation de données repose jusqu’à présent sur un modèle direct qui permet difficilement d'attester de l'unicité du scenario proposé, et d'estimer précisément les incertitudes associées, et ne tient pas compte de l'histoire long-terme du plan de faille, avant son exhumation post-glaciaire (héritage). Nous avons développé dans un premier temps un nouveau modèle qui inclut l’histoire d'héritage, et mis en place une procédure d'inversion des données permettant de 1) déterminer l'ensemble des paramètres de l'histoire sismique d'exhumation, 2) d’attester de l'unicité du scénario proposé, et 3) de contraindre précisément ses incertitudes. Nous appliquons notre méthode d’inversion à 11 failles des Apennins Centraux et montrons une grande variabilité dans leur activité sismique au cours des derniers 10 000 à 45 000 ans, avec des accélérations représentant 2 à 20 fois la vitesse long-terme de la faille. Nos résultats suggèrent en particulier que l'activité sismique des failles des Apennins Centraux pourrait être contrôlée par les propriétés intrinsèques des failles (vitesse long-terme, longueur, segmentation, état de maturité structurale), ainsi que par des processus d'interactions visco-élastiques agissant entre les failles. / The use of $^{36}$Cl cosmogenic nuclide as a paleo-seismological tool to determine the seismic history of normal faults provide continuous records over the past 10 000 to 20 000 yrs. The modeling of the $^{36}$Cl concentrations measured at the surface of an exhumed fault-plane allows determining the age and the displacement of the past seismic events that successively exhumed the fault-plane. The available modeling approach is however unable to attest for the unicity of the inferred scenario, which makes the estimate of the associated uncertainties difficult. An other limitation concerns the long-term history of the fault-plane prior its post-glacial exhumation (inheritance), that is not fully accounted for in this model (Schlagenhauf et al., 2010). We have developed a reappraisal of this model that accounts for the inheritance history, and includes a procedure of data inversion to 1) determine all parameters of the exhumation history at once, 2) attest for the unicity of the proposed scenario, and 3) precisely determine the associated uncertainties. Applying our new modeling to 11 normal faults previously studied in Central Apennines, we observe a large variability of their seismic activity over the last 10 000 - 45 000 yrs, with slip-rate acceleration reaching 2-20 times their long-term slip-rate. In particular, our results suggest that the seismic activity of normal faults in Central Apennines could be controlled by intrinsic properties of the faults (such as their long-term slip-rate, fault-length, segmentation, state of structural maturity), and by visco-elastic stress transfers between faults.

This thesis is a study into the response and seismic safety of three-dimensional multi-storey concrete structures under concurrent orthogonal seismic excitations. It employs the nonlinear time-history method as its analysis tools. Time-history analyses rely heavily on their utilised earthquake records. Accordingly, this study examines the different approaches of selecting earthquake suites and develops a methodology of selecting representative earthquake scenarios. This methodology is credibly implemented in selecting a far- and a near field suites representative of the New Zealand seismic hazard. The study investigates the response of 6-, 9- and 12-storey concrete structures of different n-X-bays × m-Y-bays. Bidirectional responses of these considered structures are examined and consequently the current combination rules are scrutinised. Consequently this study strongly recommends the use of the 40-percent combination rule in lieu of the widely used 30-percent rule; and the use of time-history analysis in lieu of quasi/equivalent static and response modal analysis methods to avoid their strong dependence on combination rules. An intensive study is conducted employing the incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) technique to investigate structural demands of interstorey drifts, lateral storey drifts and storey accelerations. The study utilises the developed far-field suite and identifies the 50th and 90th percentile demands. Hence it provides easy-to-use expressions to facilitate rapid calculation of the structural demands and the effects of biaxial interactions. An implementation into the Demand and Capacity Factor Design (DCFD) format is presented that infers confidence in the performance levels of the considered structures. The study also draws attention to the importance of considering storey accelerations as their storey values reach as high as 10 × PGA. A sensitivity study is conducted by repeating the IDA investigation while using the developed near-field suite. Subsequently a comparison between the near- and the far-field results is conducted. The results were markedly similar albeit of less magnitudes until the (seismic hazard) intensity measure IM = Sa(T₁) = 0.4g when the near-field results show sudden flat large increase in demands suggesting a brittle collapse. This is attributed to the higher content of the higher mode frequencies contained in near-field ground motions. Finally, the study examines the (vectorial) radial horizontal shear demands in columns and beam-column joints of the previous far- and near-field studies. The combined radial shear demands in corner, edge and internal columns and joints are evaluated that roughly show a square-root proportional relationship with IM that exhibit somewhat brittle failure at IM ≥ 0.35g. Shears demands in the (4-way) internal columns and the (2-way) corner joints show highest magnitude in their respective class. The results suggest transverse joint shear reinforcement of 1.5, 1.0 and 0.5 of the longitudinal reinforcement of the neighbouring beam respectively for corner, edge and internal joints. An implementation of a proposed practical (and simpler) DCFD format shows satisfactory confidence in columns performance in shear up to IM = 0.35g, conversely to joints unsatisfactory performance in shear at the onset of inelastic behaviour (IM > 0.05g).