INTRODUCTION - Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering - page 1

INTRODUCTION
1.1 GEOTECHNICAL EARTHQUAKE
ENGINEERING
Geotechnical earthquake engineering can be defined as that subspecialty within the field
of geotechnical engineering which deals with the design and construction of projects in
order to resist the effects of earthquakes. Geotechnical earthquake engineering requires an
understanding of basic geotechnical principles as well as geology, seismology, and earth-
quake engineering. In a broad sense, seismology can be defined as the study of earthquakes.
This would include the internal behavior of the earth and the nature of seismic waves gen-
erated by the earthquake.
The first step in geotechnical earthquake engineering is often to determine the dynamic
loading from the anticipated earthquake (the anticipated earthquake is also known as the
design earthquake ). For the analysis of earthquakes, the types of activities that may need
to be performed by the geotechnical engineer include the following:
● Investigating the possibility of liquefaction at the site (Chap. 6). Liquefaction can cause
a complete loss of the soil's shear strength, which could result in a bearing capacity fail-
ure, excessive settlement, or slope movement.
● Calculating the settlement of the structure caused by the anticipated earthquake (Chap. 7).
● Checking the design parameters for the foundation, such as the bearing capacity and
allowable soil bearing pressures, to make sure that the foundation does not suffer a bear-
ing capacity failure during the anticipated earthquake (Chap. 8).
● Investigating the stability of slopes for the additional forces imposed during the design
earthquake. In addition, the lateral deformation of the slope during the anticipated earth-
quake may need to be calculated (Chap. 9).
● Evaluating the effect of the design earthquake on the stability of retaining walls (Chap. 10).
● Analyzing other possible earthquake effects, such as surface faulting and resonance of
the structure (Chap. 11).
● Developing site improvement techniques to mitigate the effects of the anticipated earth-
quake. Examples include ground stabilization and groundwater control (Chap. 12).
● Determining the type of foundation, such as a shallow or deep foundation, that is best
suited for resisting the effects of the design earthquake (Chap. 13).
● Assisting the structural engineer by investigating the effects of ground movement due to
seismic forces on the structure and by providing design parameters or suitable structural
systems to accommodate the anticipated displacement (Chap. 13).
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