Geotechnical Earthquake

Engineering

• Code: V129
• Subject CD: CE 417
• Schedule: 9:00-12:00 ThF

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EARTHQUAKE
• A shaking or trembling of Earth that is volcanic
or tectonic in origin.
-Merriam-Webster Dictionary

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GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
• Study of the behavior of the soils under the
influence of loading forces and soil-water
interactions.

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Understanding the Ground
Beneath Our Feet
• Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering is a
specialized field dedicated to understanding and
mitigating the impact of earthquakes on the
ground and the structures built upon it. It
involves a deep dive into the behavior of soils
and rocks when subjected to the intense forces
generated by seismic activity.
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SCOPE
•Earthquake Impact on Soil and Foundations
•Soil-Structure Interaction
•Seismic Hazard Analysis
•Site Response Analysis
•Earthquake-Resistant Design
•Retrofitting and Mitigation
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Earthquake Impact on Soil and
Foundations
•Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering primarily
focuses on how seismic waves affect the soil,
foundations, and earth structures like dams,
retaining walls, and slopes.

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Soil-Structure Interaction

•It investigates the interaction between soil and

structural systems during seismic events. The
behavior of foundations under dynamic loading is
crucial in this aspect.

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Seismic Hazard Analysis

•It includes evaluating seismic hazards such as

ground shaking, liquefaction, landslides, and surface
rupture. These hazards directly influence the
design criteria for buildings and infrastructure.

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Site Response Analysis
•This involves determining how a particular site will
respond to seismic activity. Site response analysis is
critical for understanding local amplification
effects, which can significantly increase the intensity
of ground shaking.

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Earthquake-Resistant Design

•Geotechnical engineers work on designing

foundations and earth structures that can
withstand earthquake-induced forces. This includes
developing seismic design codes and guidelines.

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Retrofitting and Mitigation

•Engineers also focus on retrofitting existing

structures to improve their seismic resilience and
implementing mitigation strategies to minimize
earthquake damage.

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OBJECTIVE

•Enhance Safety and Reliability

•Minimize Economic Loss
•Improve Understanding of Soil Behavior
•Develop Sustainable Solutions

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Enhance Safety and Reliability

•The primary objective is to design structures that

can withstand seismic forces, ensuring public safety
and infrastructure reliability during and after
earthquakes.

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Minimize Economic Loss

•By designing earthquake-resistant structures and

implementing effective mitigation strategies,
geotechnical earthquake engineering aims to
reduce the economic impact of earthquakes.

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Improve Understanding of Soil
Behavior
•This field seeks to advance the understanding of
how different soil types and geological conditions
react under seismic loading, thereby improving
predictive models and design practices.

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Develop Sustainable Solutions

•Engineers aim to create sustainable, cost-effective

solutions that consider the environmental and
social impact of seismic engineering practices.

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Nature and Types of
Earthquake Loading
•Ground Shaking
•Surface Rupture
•Liquefaction
•Landslides and Slope Failure
•Tsunami

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Ground Shaking
•The most common type of earthquake loading, it is
caused by seismic waves propagating through the
Earth's crust. It results in horizontal and vertical
forces on structures.

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Ground Shaking
•Varies in intensity depending on the earthquake's
magnitude, depth, and distance from the epicenter,
as well as the local soil conditions.

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Surface Rupture
•An earthquake causes a fault to break the Earth's
surface. Structures located directly above a fault line
can experience severe damage due to differential
ground movement.

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Surface Rupture
•This type of loading is particularly critical for long,
linear structures such as pipelines, tunnels, and
highways

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Liquefaction
•Liquefaction is a phenomenon where saturated,
loose, granular soils lose their strength and
stiffness due to the buildup of pore water pressure
during an earthquake. This can lead to large ground
deformations, resulting in significant damage to
structures and foundations.

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Liquefaction
•It often occurs in areas with high water tables and
loose, sandy soils

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Landslides and Slope Failure:
•Earthquake-induced landslides and slope failures
can occur in hilly or mountainous regions. The
shaking reduces the stability of slopes, causing
them to fail and potentially leading to the
destruction of infrastructure.

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Landslides and Slope Failure:

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Tsunami
•In coastal regions, undersea earthquakes can
trigger tsunamis, resulting in massive water waves
impacting coastal structures. The force of a tsunami
wave can cause severe

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Tsunami

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Importance of Geotechnical
Earthquake Engineering
•Seismic risk assessment
•Designing resilient infrastructure
•Mitigating earthquake damage
•Post-earthquake recovery

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Seismic risk assessment
• Identifying earthquake-prone areas and potential
damage.

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Designing resilient infrastructure
•Building structures capable of withstanding seismic
forces.

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Mitigating earthquake damage
•Reducing the impact of earthquakes on
communities.

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Post-earthquake recovery
•Assessing damage and planning reconstruction

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Importance of Geotechnical
Earthquake Engineering
By understanding soil behavior under earthquake
conditions and incorporating appropriate design
measures, geotechnical engineers can significantly
enhance the safety and resilience of our built
environment

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