(CEPG 1203)

Introduction to Earthquake
Engineering
Dr (Mrs) Subashi De Silva
Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
1

The Earth
The Earth is made of many different and distinct layers

The deeper layers are composed of heavier materials; they are hotter,
denser and under much greater pressure than the outer layers
2

Tectonic plates

Tectonic plates and boundary

activity

Continental Drift

Tectonic plate movements

Type of fault movements

Normal faults
Reverse faults
Strike-slip faults

Causes of earthquakes

Tectonic plate movements

Volcanic activity
Explosions
Collapsed mine and water pressure in reservoirs

Tectonic plate movement

This is the most common cause of earthquakes
This occurs at the boundaries of tectonic plates and
along existing faults

Explosions
Explosion earthquakes by detonating nuclear devices
Underground nuclear explosions

Rock blasting in quarries

Moderate
earthquakes
Small seismic
events

10

Water pressure from reservoirs

The valley behind the dam is filled with water
Reservoir
Weight of the water increases the load on the rocks below the valley
Increases the pressure of the water within the rock areas
The water within the rock can lubricate existing faults making them to
slip

For deep reservoirs, this can lead to rupture of faults in the rock,
triggering earthquakes

11

Seismic waves

Surface waves
Body waves

12

Body Waves and Surface Waves

Surface waves
travel along Earths
surface.

Body waves
(P and S)
travel inside
Earth.

While P- and S- waves radiate outward in all directions,

surface waves travel along the surface of the Earth and
decrease in amplitude with depth.

13

P-Waves [Fast]

14

S-Waves [Intermediate]

15

Surface Waves [Slow]

16

Surface Waves: Rayleigh & Love Waves

Rayleigh-wave motion

Love-wave motion

17

Seismic Wave Travel Time Curves

18

How do scientists detect earthquakes?

When an earthquake occurs the seismic waves travel through the Earth to the
seismic station where the information is transmitted to distant computers.

A seismograph detects
and records EQs.

A seismogram is the
EQ record.

19

Seismic Waves

20

Epicenter & Focus of Earthquakes

Epicenter:
Location on Earths surface directly above the
earthquake

Focus (or hypocenter):

Location within the Earth where the earthquake occurred
21

The size of earthquakes

The size of earthquake can be described by

Magnitude
The amount of energy it releases into the
earths crust

Intensity
The amount the ground shakes
22

Defining epicenter
Use these three
seismograms to estimate
the S-P time interval for
each of the recording
stations
Akita Seismic Station S-P
Interval = 44 seconds
Pusan Seismic
Station S-P Interval
= 56 seconds

Tokyo Seismic Station SP Interval = 71 seconds

23

JA

Determining Distance from S-P

Use the S-P graph to
epicentral distance

Recording
Station

S-P Interval

Epicentral
Distance

Pusan

56 sec

549 km

Tokyo

44 sec

434 km

Akita

71 sec

697 km

24

JA

Triangulation of the Epicenter

The three epicentral circles whose radii correspond to the distances
in the previous slide are drawn around the seismic recording
stations

25

How big was it?

Use these three
seismograms to estimate
S wave's maximum
amplitude

Tokyo Maximum S Wave

Amplitude= 210

Pusan Maximum S
Wave Amplitude= 80

Akita Maximum S Wave

Amplitude= 80

26

How big was it?

Magnitude = 6.8

27

How big was it? The

Richter Scale

What is the Richter

magnitude of this EQ?

S P = 26 sec

Amplitude
= 23mm
Magnitude = 5
28

How Earthquakes make Buildings vibrate

Earthquake can cause
buildings to vibrate
Every building has its
own set of natural
frequencies
Every building has a
number of modes, in
which it can vibrate
naturally
First mode

Second mode
29

How Vibration Die Out

The vibration die out because of damping
Damping can be caused by
Friction
Internal friction in the material
Damage in the buildings

30

Strengthening Buildings for Earthquakes

Earthquake cause sideways

forces on buildings

There are some of the structural systems

used to resist sideway forces
Horizontal Structural Systems
Vertical Structural Systems

31

Structural Systems
Structural systems used to resist sideway forces
Horizontal Structural
Systems

Diaphragms

Trussing
Braced Frames
Vertical Structural
Systems

Moment resisting Frames

Shear walls

32

Horizontal Structural Systems

Trussing
Diaphragms

33

Vertical Structural Systems

Braced Frames
Shear walls

Moment resisting Frames

34

Braced Frames

Knee bracings

K bracings

V bracings

Inverted V
bracings

35

Building Isolations
Friction pendulum bearings
Rubber bearings

Rubber bearing in place before the

building is constructed above it.
36

Adding dampers
Metallic dampers

X - Plate Metallic Damper

37

Adding dampers
Friction dampers

38

Adding dampers
Viscous fluid damper installed in building

39