Analytical Study of Mobile Home Response to the 2014 South Napa Earthquake
The 2014 South Napa Earthquake damaged mobile (manufactured) homes in Northern California. The authors conducted field surveys of mobile home communities in the City of Napa, California. This paper summarizes the observations and presents an analysis of mobile home response. The results are suggestive of key factors at work in mobile home seismic behavior. Homes fell from their supports (collapsed) as a result of ground shaking with large peak ground velocities apparently from near fault pulse effects. Analyses using ASCE 7 10 maximum considered earthquakes (MCEs) and design earthquakes (DEs) indicate that large numbers of mobile homes having no explicit design for lateral forces are likely to collapse during these earthquakes. The uncertainty and possible wide range of key parameters, however, make precise response prediction difficult for specific homes. A simplified damage function is suggested that may be useful for regional earthquake damage estimation. Recommendations are made for ways to improve mobile home seismic performance.