Lecture#1

CE-462:Disaster Mitigation and

Earthquake Engineering
Mahendra Kumar Pal, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
IIT BHU Varanasi
 Syllabus
▪ Unit#1: Natural Disasters (3 Lectures): Earthquake, Floods, Drought, Coastal Hazards, Landslides, rockslides
and Forest Fires.

▪ Unit#2: Elements of Engineering Seismology (4 Lectures): Earthquake phenomenon, Earthquake recording

instruments.

▪ Unit#3: Introduction to Theory of Vibrations (4 Lectures): Single degree un-damped and damped systems,
elastic response to simple load functions and earthquake response spectras.

▪ Unit#4: Performance of Buildings and Structures (4 Lectures): Main causes of damage: Intensity of earthquake
forces, lack of strength and integrity in buildings, quasi- resonance, lack of ductility, lack of detailing.

▪ Unit#5: Earthquake Effects (4 Lectures): On ground and soil liquefaction, buildings, structures, power plants,
switch yards, equipment and other lifeline structures, release of poisonous gases and radiation.

▪ Unit#6: Lessons Learnt from the Past Earthquakes (3 Lectures): Case studies of important Indian earthquakes
and major world earthquakes.

▪ Unit#7: Disaster Management (4 Lectures): Salient features of disaster rescue, risk management and casualty
management.

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Content of Today’s Lecture
▪ Unit#1: Natural Disasters (3 Lectures): Earthquake, Floods, Drought, Coastal Hazards, Landslides, rockslides
and Forest Fires.

▪ Unit#2: Elements of Engineering Seismology (4 Lectures): Earthquake phenomenon, Earthquake recording

instruments.

▪ Unit#3: Introduction to Theory of Vibrations (4 Lectures): Single degree un-damped and damped systems,
elastic response to simple load functions and earthquake response spectras.

▪ Unit#4: Performance of Buildings and Structures (4 Lectures): Main causes of damage: Intensity of earthquake
forces, lack of strength and integrity in buildings, quasi- resonance, lack of ductility, lack of detailing.

▪ Unit#5: Earthquake Effects (4 Lectures): On ground and soil liquefaction, buildings, structures, power plants,
switch yards, equipment and other lifeline structures, release of poisonous gases and radiation.

▪ Unit#6: Lessons Learnt from the Past Earthquakes (3 Lectures): Case studies of important Indian earthquakes
and major world earthquakes.

▪ Unit#7: Disaster Management (4 Lectures): Salient features of disaster rescue, risk management and casualty
management.

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Introduction to Earthquake

▪ Definition: Phenomena of sudden slips on the fault and consequently ground

shaking and radiation of seismic energy caused by the slip of volcanic activity or
other sudden stress changes in Earth.

▪ Hypocentre or Focus: Point withing the Earth where an earthquake rupture

initiates.

▪ Epicentre: Point on the Earth surface vertically above the focus in the crust
where seismic rupture begins.

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Introduction to Earthquake
▪ Earthquake Hazard: describes the way in which an earthquake disrupt the day
to day life of people- surface faulting, ground shaking, landslide, liquefication,
tsunami, etc
▪ Earthquake Risk: Probable damage to buildings and civil structures and severity
at which it will affect the people
▪ Earth Layers:
▪ Crust: thin outermost layer of Earth, mainly comprise of solid rocks
▪ Mantle: consist of solid rocks and a layer of molten rock called magma of temp higher
than 2000o C.
▪ Core: innermost part of the earth with temperature higher than 3000oC

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Lithosphere
This is the solid Earth of rocks broken into several pieces called “Plates”

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering
 Earthquake waves
▪When there is rupture, the sides of
the fault rub against one another so
that a considerable energy is
expanded by frictional forces and
crushing of the rock and consequently
surfaces are heated. As the
consequences, earthquake waves are
generated at the same time by the
rebounding of the adjacent sides of the
fault at the surface and by rubbing and
crushing.

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Characteristics of ground motion
Surface Faulting is the offset or tearing of the earth surface

Tectonic Uplifting: major differential vertical and horizontal movement over broad parts of the
Earth’s surface within a few meters to hundred meters from the fault.

Landslides: When earth moves along a slip plane under the influence of gravity

Quickclays: clays lose shear-strength when disturbed by ground shaking. Alaska Earhquake 1964
Liquefication: clay-free soil deposits, primarily sand and silts temporarily lose strength and behave
like viscous fluid rather than solid. Niigata Earthquake 1964

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Damage due to liquefaction during Niigata Earthquake 1964

Surface rupture of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering Massive landslide blocks Shimla-Kinnaur highway
 Measurement of Earthquake
▪ Magnitude: is a measure of strength of an earthquake in the vibration energy of
the shock or strain energy release by it at its source.
▪ In 1935, seismologist Charles F. Richter first defined the local magnitude as the
logarithm to the base of 10 of the amplitude of the seismic wave that would be observed
on a standard torsion seismograph at the distance of 100km from epicentre.

▪ Intensity: is a measure of the observed effect of the earthquake on man,

buildings and earth surface at a particular location.
▪ First intensity scale was developed in Europe in 1833 by M.S. Rossi of Italy and F.G. Forel of
Switzerland with 1 to 10 level
▪ In 1902, Ginseppe Mercalli scale was introduced with 10 grades of intensity and later modified to
have 12 grades, which is widely used
▪ Medvede-Sponheur-Karnik (MSK) scale of 1964 also has 12 grades of intensity

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Seismic Zonation
Dividing a region into several seismic
zones based upon the seismicity

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Seismic Micro-Zoning
▪ Micro-zonation is modern device by having high precision grid into which the area of
a region is divided for increasing the predictability of the earthquake hazard.
▪ Some of the perceived hazards
▪ Building collapse and damage to structures due to earthquake induced ground motion
▪ Liquefaction failure
▪ Slope instability associated with natural slopes
▪ Failure of earth retaining structures
▪ Avalanches, rockfalls and associated damages
▪ Deferential ground settlement
▪ Earthquake triggered fire

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Seismic Micro-Zoning
▪ Geological aspects shall be given prominence
▪ Regional tectonics and pattern of deformation
▪ Mapping of significant faults within 100-150 kms of the site map
▪ Determination of fault types
▪ Evidence and observations reflecting on recent displacement history of fault
▪ Location of any landslide, ground settlement, water inundation and similar problems from
seismicity

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Seismic Micro-Zoning
▪ Steps involves
▪ Selection of design hazard level
▪ Regional geological and geo-technical studies
▪ Evaluation of sub surface profiles in the area of interest
▪ Assessment of characteristics of design earthquake
▪ Analysis of seismic site response within the zone mapped
▪ Assessment of seismic hazard with special reference to liquefaction potential and
structural damage arising from the site amplification of the earthquake bedrock motions.

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Structural design aspects
▪ Design characteristics of earthquake loading
▪ Uncertainty associated with amplitude, duration and frequency of loading
▪ Capacity to withstand vertical loads due to gravity
▪ Capacity of withstand lateral loads due to horizontal earthquake ground motion
▪ Dynamic loading produces responses concerning inertial and elastic forces and other
energy dissipation damping mechanism.

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Structural design aspects
▪ Design strategy to meet requirement of minor and major tremor
▪ The inelastic deformation due to ductility and hysteric energy dissipation to withstand
and resist from collapse due to earthquake consistent with seismic demand
▪ Proper weightage shall be given to soil and foundation conditions for earthquake
resistant design
▪ Analysis pertaining to elastic and inelastic response spectrum analysis, time-history
dynamic response analysis and seismic behaviour of various materials used in
construction are given relevant consideration
▪ Quality control of construction materials, construction practices shall be given proper
consideration.

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

 Summary of the lecture
▪ Introduction to earthquakes
▪ Earthquake waves
▪ Magnitude and intensity of earthquake
▪ Seismic zonation
▪ Seismic micro-zoning
▪ Structural design aspects in earthquake loading

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering

CE-462: Disaster Mitigation & Earthquake Engineering