Earthquake Effects On Structures

S. K.
Ghosh Associates LLC

International Code Council (ICC)
Earthquakes and Their

Effects on Structures
Date: 06 APR 2021
Dr. S. K. Ghosh
President, S. K. Ghosh Associates LLC
URP S-09 Training

Module G4
Lesson Objectives
Upon completing this lesson, participants will recognize the background
to the building code seismic provisions, including:
Source, nature, and characteristics of earthquake ground motions;
The nature of building response to ground motion;
The concepts of frequency, period, damping, resonance, inertia force,
and load paths,
The concept of inelastic structural response and consequent need for
proper detailing;
Seismic force-resisting structural systems.
www.skghoshassociates.com
1
S. K. Ghosh Associates LLC
Earthquake Ground Motion
Most earthquakes result from rapid movement

along the plane of faults within the earth's crust.
Sudden movement of fault releases a great deal of
energy, which travels through the earth in the form
of seismic waves
The seismic waves travel for great distances
before finally losing most of their energy.
2
Seismic Activity: 1990 - 2000
Tectonic Plates – Global
3
Tectonic Plates – Bangladesh
Source:Dr.Tahmeed MalikAlͲHussani,BUET
Seismic History of Bangladesh
4
Seismic History of Bangladesh
Hazard vs. Risk
Hazard – The potential for ground shaking, etc.

Risk – Potential for losses (human, economic, etc.)
associated with the hazard.
5
At some time after their generation, seismic waves

reach the earth's surface, and set it in motion, which
we refer to as earthquake ground motion.
When earthquake ground motion occurs underneath a

building and when it is strong enough, it sets the
building in motion,
starting with the building's foundation,
and transfers the motion throughout the rest of the
building in a very complex way.
These motions in turn induce forces that can produce
damage.
6
Attenuation of Ground Motion
Attenuation Relationships
Exampleofgroundmotiondatascatter
forasingleearthquake
7
Measures of Earthquake Size
Intensity – Qualitative but widely used

Magnitude – Quantitative
Earthquake Magnitude and Intensity:

Richter’s Analogy
Seismographs record waves of disturbance radiated from the
earthquake source, just as receiving units catch radio waves
transmitted by broadcasting stations.
Magnitude can be compared to the power output in kilowatts of a
broadcasting station.
Local intensity is comparable to the signal strength of a receiver
at a given locality.
Intensity, like signal strength, drops off with distance from the
source, although it also depends on local conditions and the
pathway from source to the point of recording.
8
Earthquake Intensity
Subjective
Valuable for historic analysis
Varies with construction types
Varies with distance and ground conditions
Includes construction type and ground effects
Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale

Intensity Description
Notfelt(I)tofeltbyallwithsomedamagetoordinaryandsubͲ
IͲVII
standardstructures(VII)
VIII,IX Sometoconsiderabledamagetoevenspeciallydesignedstructures
Mostmasonryandframestructuresdestroyed;railsbent;
X landslides;groundbadlycracked
Few(ifany)masonrystructuresstanding;bridgesdestroyed;
XI
pipelinesoutofservice;broadfissuresinground;railsbentgreatly
Damagetotal;wavesseenongroundsurface;linesofsightandlevel
XII
aredistorted
9
Earthquake Magnitude
Quantitative – size of wave on seismograph

Logarithmic scale
Correlates with energy released
Moment Magnitude is the preferred M
Variations – Local M (Richter), Surface wave M,
Body wave M, etc.
Geological Factors Affecting Ground

Motion at a Site
Source mechanism
Transmission path from source to site
Local site conditions
10
Site Effects
Acceleration
A
Time
Amplifies ground motion
Lengthens duration
Changes frequency content
Site Amplification
11
Response spectra and ratio of response spectra

for ground-motions on rock and nearby soft soil
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Soft soil on Treasure Island vs. rock on Yerba Buena Island
1940 El Centro (Imperial Valley, CA Eq.)

Accelerogram
N-S component and corresponding derived velocity and
displacement plots
12
Ground Motion at a Site
The earthquake ground motion characteristics that have

the greatest importance for buildings are the
duration,
amplitude (of displacement, velocity and acceleration),
and frequency
of the ground motion.
Frequency is defined as the number of complete

cycles of vibration made by the wave per second.
13
A complete cycle of vibration is from one crest of the

wave to the next (one full wavelength).
Frequency is often measured in units called Hertz (Hz).
Thus, if two full waves pass in one second, the
frequency is 2 Hz.
Surface ground motion at a site is actually a complex

superposition of different vibration frequencies.
At any given site, some frequencies usually
predominate.
The distribution of frequencies in a ground motion is
referred to as its frequency content.
14
Building Response to Ground Motion

The response of a building to ground motion is as
complex as the ground motion itself, yet typically quite
different.
Building also begins to vibrate in a complex manner,
and because it is now a vibratory system, it also
possesses a frequency content.
However, the building's vibrations tend to center around
one particular frequency that is known as its natural
frequency.

Another way to think of building response in terms of the
building's natural period.
Period is simply the inverse of frequency:
whereas the frequency is the number of times per second
that a building will vibrate back and forth,
the period is the time it takes for the building to make one
complete vibration cycle.
f =1/T
15
Period is proportional to:

square root of mass
and inversely proportional to:
square root of stiffness
(force required to impart unit displacement)
Generally, the shorter a building is, the shorter its period and
the higher its natural frequency. The taller a building is, the
longer its period and the lower its natural frequency.
16
Damping
Dyingoutofvibrationwithdamping
Resonance
When the frequency contents of the ground motion are
centered around the building's natural frequency, the
building and the ground motion are in resonance.
Resonance tends to increase or amplify building
response.
Because of this, buildings suffer the greatest damage
from ground motion at a frequency close or equal to
their natural frequencies.
17
Resonance
AdemonstrationofresonancebyDr.S.Krishnan,P.E.,S.E.,CaliforniaInstituteof
Technology,Pasadena,CA
Resonance
MexicoCity,1985– GroundMotionTimeHistory
18
Resonance
MexicoCity,1985– ResponseSpectrum
19
20
Resonance
Adaptedfrom:SeedandIdriss (1982),
GroundMotionandSoilLiquefaction
duringEarthquakes,EERI,USA
Inertia Force
Acceleration has important influence on damage,

because, as an object in motion, the building obeys
Newton’s Second Law of Motion.
The simplest form of the equation which expresses
this law is F = MA.
21
Inertia Force
The Force acting on the building is equal to the

Mass of the building times the Acceleration.
So, as the acceleration of the ground, and in turn, of
the building, increases, so does the force which
affects the building and the potential for damage to
the building.
Inertia Force
It is important to note that F is actually what's known

as an inertia force, that is, the force is created by
the building's tendency to remain at rest, and in its
original position, even though the ground
underneath it is moving.
22
Inertia Force
Inertia Force
u
Roof
Column
Foundation
Soil
Acceleration
Inertiaforceandrelativemotionwithinabuilding
Dynamics of SDOF Systems
m m
Ͳmüg(t)
=
üg(t) FIXEDBASE
23
Inertia Force
In some circumstances, dynamic amplification (due to near-
resonance) can increase the building acceleration to a value
two or more times that of the ground acceleration at the
base.
Generally, buildings with higher natural frequencies or short
natural periods tend to suffer higher accelerations but
smaller displacements.
In the case of buildings with lower natural frequencies or
long natural periods, this is reversed and the buildings
experience lower accelerations but larger displacements.
Load Paths
Seismic forces
concentrated at Compression Tension
roof and floor chord chord
diaphragms
Response of
Diaphragm shear forces at each end
Concrete
of diaphragm are transferred to the
collector beam and the shear wall Buildings to
Seismic
Forces
Collector beam accumulates diaphragm
shear and transfers it to the end of the
shear wall
Bending moment
Tension Compression Seismic forces tend to push the shear wall
over causing an overturning moment
The overturning moment causes Shear force
tension and compression boundary
forces in the shear wall Passive pressure
Shear forces are transferred to the earth by friction

Friction on the bottom of footings and by passive pressure
on the sides of footings
Forces from gravity loads and seismic overturning

forces are transferred to the earth by vertical
contact pressures beneath the footing
Variable foundation
contact pressure
24
Load Paths
From point of load application or origin

down to soil underlying foundation:
Preferably,
x Direct (simple configuration)
x Multiple (redundancy)
Earthquake Damage Mechanisms
Ground Shaking
Ground Failure
• Rupture
• Liquefaction
• Landslide
• Lateral Spreading
Tsunami / Seiche
25
Ground Shaking
Seismically induced ground motions produce inertia

forces in structures
• Complete collapse
• Partial collapse
• Building interaction
• Interior damage
Ground Shaking – Complete Collapse
Agadir, Morocco, Saada Hotel – 1960
26
Ground Shaking – Partial Collapse
San Fernando, CA, Olive View Hospital – 1971

(opened 1970)
Ground Shaking – Building Interaction
Mexico City – 1985

• Buildings spaced too close
together can hammer (interact)
together and cause severe
damage.
27
Ground Shaking – Interior Damage
San Fernando, CA – 1971
Ground Failure
Fault Rupture
Liquefaction
Landslide
Lateral Spreading
28
Ground Failure – Fault Rupture
San Francisco, CA – 1906
Ground Failure - Liquefaction
Loss of shear
Nigata, Japan - 1964
resistance in
saturated soils
caused by
seismically induced
ground vibrations
29
Ground Failure – Lateral Spreading
San Fernando – 1971
Ground Failure – Landslide
Alaska – 1964
30
Ground Failure – Landslide (fill)
Olympia, WA – 1964
Tsunami / Seiche
Tsunami
• seismically induced sea wave
Seiche
• seismically induced fluid motion
in reservoir or lake
31
Tsunami Damage
Tohoku Earthquake – M 9.0 (March 11, 2011)
Theepicenterwasabout80mileseastofthecoastalcityofSendai.TheSendai
citycenter,about7milesinland,waslargelyintactbutmassivedamage
occurredalongthecoast.
(basedNYTimesphoto)
Mitigation Strategies
EarthquakeEffect ScopeofEffect MitigationStrategy
GroundShaking Wide Resist

FaultRupture Local Avoid
Landslide Local Avoid
Liquefaction Local Avoid/Resist
Tsunami Wide/Local Avoid/Resist
Seiche Local Avoid/Resist
32
Idealized Force-Displacement
Elastic
Fu
Elastic Inelastic
Fe
'e 'u
Lateral Displacement
Three Levels of Detailing
Ordinary
Intermediate (minimum required for SDC C)
Special (minimum required for SDC D, E, F)
33
Seismic Force-Resisting
Structural Systems
Example: Different Categories of Concrete

Moment Frames and Shear Walls Recognized
by U.S. Codes and Standards
MomentFrames ShearWalls
OrdinaryRCmomentframes OrdinaryRCshearwalls
(castͲinͲplaceorprecast) (castͲinͲplaceorprecast)
Intermediate RC moment frames Intermediateprecastshearwalls

(castͲinͲplace only) (precastonly)
SpecialRCmomentframes SpecialRCshearwalls
(castͲinͲplaceorprecast) (castͲinͲplaceorprecast)
34
Supplemental Information
Additional information on:
Structural and nonstructural response in shake

table testing
Seeing is Believing
35
Questions?
Thank you
36

Earthquake Effects On Structures

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Earthquake Effects On Structures

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S. K.

Ghosh Associates LLC

Earthquakes and Their

URP S-09 Training

Earthquake Ground Motion

Most earthquakes result from rapid movement

Earthquake Ground Motion

Seismic Activity: 1990 - 2000

Tectonic Plates – Global

Tectonic Plates – Bangladesh

Seismic History of Bangladesh

Seismic History of Bangladesh

Hazard vs. Risk

Hazard – The potential for ground shaking, etc.

Earthquake Ground Motion

At some time after their generation, seismic waves

Earthquake Ground Motion

When earthquake ground motion occurs underneath a

Attenuation of Ground Motion

Measures of Earthquake Size

Intensity – Qualitative but widely used

Earthquake Magnitude and Intensity:

Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale

Quantitative – size of wave on seismograph

Geological Factors Affecting Ground

Response spectra and ratio of response spectra

 Soft soil on Treasure Island vs. rock on Yerba Buena Island

1940 El Centro (Imperial Valley, CA Eq.)

Ground Motion at a Site

The earthquake ground motion characteristics that have

Ground Motion at a Site

Frequency is defined as the number of complete

Ground Motion at a Site

A complete cycle of vibration is from one crest of the

Ground Motion at a Site

Surface ground motion at a site is actually a complex

Building Response to Ground Motion

Building Response to Ground Motion

Building Response to Ground Motion

 Period is proportional to:

Building Response to Ground Motion

Acceleration has important influence on damage,

The Force acting on the building is equal to the

It is important to note that F is actually what's known

Dynamics of SDOF Systems

Shear forces are transferred to the earth by friction

Forces from gravity loads and seismic overturning

From point of load application or origin

Earthquake Damage Mechanisms

Seismically induced ground motions produce inertia

Ground Shaking – Complete Collapse

Agadir, Morocco, Saada Hotel – 1960

Ground Shaking – Partial Collapse

San Fernando, CA, Olive View Hospital – 1971

Ground Shaking – Building Interaction

Mexico City – 1985

Ground Shaking – Interior Damage

San Fernando, CA – 1971

Ground Failure – Fault Rupture

San Francisco, CA – 1906

Ground Failure - Liquefaction

Ground Failure – Lateral Spreading

San Fernando – 1971

Most earthquakes result from rapid movement

Hazard – The potential for ground shaking, etc.

Intensity – Qualitative but widely used

Quantitative – size of wave on seismograph

Soft soil on Treasure Island vs. rock on Yerba Buena Island

Period is proportional to: