TABLE OF CONTENTS 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 earthquake 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 generated 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 failure, 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 bearing 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 earthquake...
