Seismic Geotechnical

Hazards

JOHN CHRISTIAN L. GAVIOLA

Faculty, Department of Civil Engineering
Visayas State University
Course Outcomes

To discuss the cause and origin of

earthquake and its occurrence
including the different seismic
geotechnical hazards
Why Earthquakes Occur?
True or False

Earthquakes do not occur

uniformly around the earth.
Some regions have higher
seismicity than others.
True or False

Earthquakes do not occur

uniformly around the earth.
Some regions have higher
seismicity than others.
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RICHTER MAGNITUDE SCALE
Seismic
Geotechnical
Hazards
Seismic Geotechnical Hazards
are caused either by soil overloading under the
action of gravity and inertia loads, or by loss of
bearing capacity. The following are the failure
mechanisms:
1. Development of inertia forces on
superstructures
2. Deformation of underground structures and
deep foundations due to passage of seismic
waves.
3. Deformation of embedded lifelines due to the
rupture of surface faults
Seismic Geotechnical Hazards
are caused either by soil overloading under the
action of gravity and inertia loads, or by loss of
bearing capacity. The following are the failure
mechanisms:

4 . Settlement due to dynamic compaction of

cohesionless soils
5. Loss of bearing capacity due to liquefaction of
cohesionless soil layers, or due to undrained
shear strength degradation of cohesive and
cemented soils.
Soil Liquefaction

is a phenomenon where a soil’s strength and

stiffness are reduced by earthquake shaking or
other rapid loading. Liquefaction and related
phenomena have been responsible for
tremendous amounts of damage in historical
earthquakes around the world.
is a phenomenon where a soil’s strength and
stiffness are reduced by earthquake shaking or
other rapid loading. Liquefaction and related
phenomena have been responsible for
tremendous amounts of damage in historical
earthquakes around the world.
Factors affecting liquefaction susceptibility
Soil Properties
Geologic Conditions
Earthquake Characteristics
Unit weight, grain size
characteristics, relative density,
soil structure, shear modulus,
damping ratio, and degree of
saturation
Geologic History (aging,
cementation), effective confining
pressure, initial static shear
stress, overconsolidation ratio,
boundary conditions, lateral earth
pressure coefficient
Intensity of ground shaking,
duration of shaking (number of
cycles) direction of shearing,
strain level