Chapter 1

1
Fundamentals
of
Earthquake Engineering:
From Source to Fragility
by
Amr S. Elnashai and Luigi Di Sarno

2
Context, Framework and Scope
 Earthquakes are one of the most devastating natural hazards that cause great loss
of life and livelihood.
 On average, 10,000 people die each year due to earthquakes, while annual economic
losses are in the billions of dollars and often constitute a large percentage of the
gross national product of the country affected.
 Over the past few decades earthquake engineering has developed as a branch of
engineering concerned with the estimation of earthquake consequences and the
mitigation of these consequences.
 It has become an interdisciplinary subject involving seismologists, structural and

geotechnical engineers, architects, urban planners, information technologists and
social scientists.
3
Context, Framework and Scope
 This book frames earthquake structural engineering as a balance between Demand
or imposed actions and deformations, and Supply or capacity to withstand actions
and deformations.
 The proposed systems framework is referred to as ‘From Source-to-Fragility’.
4
Chapter 1
Earthquake Characteristics
5
Earthquake Characteristics
Causes of earthquakes
 Plate tectonics theory
 Faulting
 Seismic waves
Measuring earthquakes
 Intensity
 Magnitude
 Intensity-magnitude relationships
Source-to-Site-Effects
 Directional Effects
 Site Effects
 Dispersion and Incoherence
Effects of earthquakes
 Damage to buildings and lifelines
 Effects on the ground
 Human and financial losses
6
Plate Tectonics Theory
► Earthquake causes
 An earthquake is manifested as ground shaking caused by the sudden release of

energy in the Earth’s crust.
 Earthquake occurrence may be explained by the theory of large-scale tectonic

processes referred to as ‘plate tectonics’.
 Intense seismic activity occurs predominantly on known plate boundaries.
Tectonic plates (left) and worldwide earthquake distribution (right)

7
Plate Tectonics Theory (continued)
► Plate tectonics
 Plates are large and stable rigid rock slabs with a thickness of about 100 km
forming the crust or lithosphere and part of the upper mantle of the Earth.
 Large tectonic forces take place at the plate edges due to the relative movement of
the lithosphere-asthenosphere complex.
Cross-section of the Earth with the main type plate boundaries

8
► The principal types of plate boundaries
 Divergent or rift zones: plates separate themselves from one another and either an
effusion of magma occurs or the lithosphere diverges from the interior of the Earth.
 Convergent or subduction zones: adjacent plates converge and collide. A

subduction process carries the slab-like plate, known as the ‘under-thrusting plate’
into a dipping zone.
 Transform faults or transcurrent horizontal slip: two plates glide past one another
but without creating new lithosphere or subducting old lithosphere.
9
 Divergent plate boundaries form narrow bands of shallow earthquakes at mid-
oceanic ridges.
 Shallow and intermediate earthquakes also occur at convergent zones.
 Shallow earthquakes with large magnitudes may occur along transform faults.
 Deep earthquakes are generally located in subduction zones.
Tectonic mechanisms at plate boundaries

10
► Classification of tectonic earthquakes

 Inter-plate earthquakes
• Plate boundary earthquakes which contribute 95% of world-wide seismic energy
release.
 Intra-plate earthquakes
• The genesis of this seismic activity is attributed either to the geological
structural complexity of the lithosphere or anomalies in its temperature and
strength.
• Intra-plate earthquakes generally fall in two groups:
- Plate boundary-related earthquakes;

- Mid-plate earthquakes.
Earthquake Slip rate (v) Recurrence time

(type) (mm/year) (year)
Inter-plate v > 10 ~ 100
Intra-plate (plate
0.1 ≤ v ≤ 10 102 ~ 104
boundary related)
Intra-plate (mid-plate) v < 0.1 > 104
11
Faulting
► Faults
 When two ground masses move with respect to one another, elastic strain energy
due to tectonic processes is stored and then released through the rupture of the
interface zone. The distorted blocks snap back towards equilibrium and earthquake
ground shaking is produced. This process is referred to as ‘elastic rebound’. The
resulting fracture in the Earth’s crust is termed a ‘fault’.
Active faults: San Andreas, Carrizo Plains, in California (left) and the Corinth Canal in Greece (right)
12
Faulting (continued)
► Parameters used to describe fault dimensions and motion
 Azimuth (Φ): the angle between the trace of the fault;
 Dip (δ): the angle between the fault and the horizontal plane;
 Slip or rake (λ): the angle between the direction of relative displacement and the
horizontal direction;
 Relative displacement (Δu): the distance travelled by a point on either side of the
fault plane;
 Area (S): surface area of the highly stressed region within the fault plane.
Z (Zenith)
X (North)
Horizontal plane
Fault trace

180°-

u

Fault plane S
Parameters used to describe fault dimension and motion

13
► Fundamental fault mechanisms
 Dip-slip faults: one block moves vertically with respect to the other.
 Strike-slip faults: the adjacent blocks move horizontally past one other.
Fault plane
Fault trace Fault plane

F Fault plane
F
F
F
Dip ()
Normal Fault
Reverse Fault Foot wall
Hanging wall
Fault plane
F F
F
Fault plane
Left-Lateral Strike Slip Fault Right-Lateral Strike Slip Fault
Fundamental fault mechanisms

14
► Fault mechanisms Fault mechanisms as a function of the rake (λ)

North
reverse fault reverse fault
azimuth (strike, Φ) right slip left slip
rake (λ) reverse
foot wall
90˚
+
0°
dip (δ) +180° 180˚ 0˚
-180° right -180˚ left
hanging wall
-90˚
normal
normal fault normal fault
dip (δ) right slip left slip
0˚< δ <90˚
(oblique fault)
pure reverse fault (λ= 90˚) pure normal fault (λ= -90˚)
δ = 90˚
(vertical fault) Pure strike slip Pure strike slip down slip
(left lateral, λ=0˚) (right lateral, λ=180˚) (λ= ±90˚)
15
► Source parameters
 The ‘focus’ or ‘hypocentre’ of an earthquake is the point under the surface where
the rupture is said to have originated. The projection of the focus on the surface is
termed ‘epicentre’.
 Earthquake foci are located by geographical coordinates, namely latitude and

longitude, the focal depth and the origin or occurrence time.
Epicentral Distance
Site
Epicentre
Focal Depth
Fault
Focus
Definition of source parameters

16
► Source parameters
 Many earthquakes have focal depths in the range of 5-15 km, while intermediate
events have foci at about 20-50 km and deep earthquakes occur at 300-700 km
under the surface. The three types are also referred to as shallow, intermediate and
deep focus, respectively.
 Crustal earthquakes normally have depths of about 30 km or less.
 The source is not a single point, hence the ‘distance from the source’ required for
engineering seismology applications is ill-defined.
17
Problem 1.1
Determine the source mechanism of faults with a dip δ = 60° and rake λ = 45°.
Comment on the results.
18
Seismic Waves
 Earthquake shaking is generated by two types of elastic seismic waves: body and
surface waves.
► Body waves
 They include longitudinal or primary waves (also known as ‘P-waves’) and
transverse or secondary waves (also referred to as ‘S-waves’).
 Body waves attenuate in inverse proportion to the distance x.
► Surface waves
 Surface waves include Love (indicated as ‘L- or LQ-waves’) and Rayleigh (indicated
as ‘R- or LR-waves’) waves.
 Surface waves attenuate in inverse proportion to the square root of the distance.
19
Seismic Waves (continued)
► P-waves ► S-waves
 P-waves cause alternate  S-wave propagation causes vertical

compression and dilation in the motion and horizontal side-to-side
motion.
rock.
 Small amplitudes and short periods.  Large amplitudes and long periods.
 P-waves travel faster, at speeds  S-waves, are slower, usually have 50%
between 1.5 and 8 km/sec in the to 60% of the speed of P-waves.
Earth’s crust.
20
 The difference in velocities of P- and S- waves may be employed to locate the
earthquake origin.
 Assuming homogenous soil profiles between earthquake foci and observation sites,
the focal distance Δx is linearly dependent on the time-lag Δt between the arrival of
P- and S-waves.
Depth
Layer (type)
(km)
vp (km/s) vs (km/s) v P vS
Crust 10 - 30 6.57 3.82 x  t (1.1  a)
40 8.12 4.42 v P  vS
Upper Mantle 220 8.06 4.35
400 9.13 5.22 18.0
670 10.75 5.95 16.0 Proposed step-function
Lower Mantle 1200 11.78 6.52
Ratios (vP∙vS) / (vP-vS)

14.0
2885 13.72 7.26 12.0
2890 8.06 0.00 10.0
Outer Core 3800 9.31 0.00 8.0
5150 10.36 0.00 6.0
Omori's formula
5155 11.03 3.50 4.0
Inner Core
6371 11.26 3.67 2.0
0.0
 For a quick evaluation, Omori’s formula 10-30 40 220 400 670 1200 2885
(Kanai, 1983) may also be used (Δx in Crust Upper Mantle Lower Mantle
km, Δt in seconds) Depth of Earth's Layers (in km)
x  7.42 t (1.1  b)
21
 The procedure to locate an earthquake epicentre and origin time is as follows:
a) Obtain seismogram records for a given observation site;

b) Select the arrival time of the body waves on the record traces;
c) Compute the time delay Δt in the arrival of P- and S-waves;
d) Subtract the travel time Δt from the arrival time at the observation site to derive
the origin time;
e) Use eqns. (1.1) to evaluate the distance Δx between the seismic station and the
epicentre;
f) Draw a circle on a map around the station location (or centre) with a radius
equal to Δx;
g) Repeat steps (a) to (f) for a second seismic station;

h) Repeat steps (a) to (f) for a third seismic station.
22
► Love (L- or LQ-) waves ► Rayleigh (R- or LR-) waves

 LQ-waves are generated by  LR-waves are caused by constructive
constructive interference of SH interference of body waves, such as P
body waves. and SV.
 LQ-waves have large amplitudes  LR-waves exhibit very large amplitude

and long periods. and regular wave-forms.
 For a layered soil, LQ-wave velocity  LR-waves are slower than S-waves; it
vLQ is generally:
v S1  vLQ  v S2 may be assumed that:
v LR  0.92 v S
with vS1 and vS2 the velocities of S-
waves in the surface and deeper
layers, respectively.
23
 Body waves are reflected and refracted at interfaces between different layers of rock
according to Snell’s law of refraction from elementary optics.
 When reflection and refraction occur part of the energy of one type is transformed
into the other. Regardless of whether the incident wave is P or S, the reflected and
refracted waves, also termed ‘multiple phase waves’, each consist of P- and S-
waves.
 Their name indicates the travel path and mode of propagation. For example, SP
starts as S and then continues as P.
 Multiple phase waves do not possess significant damage potential. However, when
P- and S-waves reach the ground surface they are reflected back. Such reflection
may lead to significant local amplification of the shaking at the surface.
 It has been shown that seismic waves are influenced by soil conditions and local
topography.
24
Problem 1.2
Locate and mark on the map provided the epicentre of an earthquake that was
recorded in Italy by three observation sites 1, 2 and 3, with a time delay between
P- and S-waves of 5.0, 7.5 and 6.0 seconds, respectively. The body wave
velocities are 8.5 km/sec and 4.30 km/sec; it is up to the reader to determine
which of these values refer to P- and S-waves. Compare the results obtained by
eqn. (1.1-a) with those estimated through eqn. (1.1-b).
25
Measuring Earthquakes
 Earthquake size can be expressed in several ways.
► Intensity
 Qualitative (non-instrumental) measurement.

 Subjective damage evaluation based on description of earthquake effects.
► Magnitude
 Quantitative (instrumental) measurement.

 Objective measure of earthquake size or fault dimensions.
26
Intensity
 Discrete scales are used to quantify seismic intensity.
 The levels are represented by Roman numerals and each degree of intensity
provides a qualitative description of earthquake effects:
i. Mercalli_Cancani-Seiberg (MCS): 12-level scale used in southern Europe;
ii. Modified Mercalli (MM): 12-level scale used in North American and several other
countries;
iii. Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik (MSK): 12-level scale developed in Central and

Eastern Europe and used in several other countries;
iv. European Macroseismic Scale (EMS): 12-level scale adopted since 1998 in
Europe;
v. Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA): 7-level scale used in Japan.

27
Intensity (continued)
Comparison and equivalence between seismic intensity scales

28
 Intensity scales are used to plot contour lines of equal intensity or ‘isoseismals’.
 The isoseismal map of the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in California is
shown below. It locates the epicentre (marked as a star) and provides Modified Mercalli
(MM) intensities between isoseismals (Roman numerals), and MM intensities at
specific cities (Arabic numerals).
29
 Structures in the immediate vicinity of earthquake sources experience very high

ground accelerations but may sustain little or no damage, depending on their periods
of vibration. On the other hand, intensity is a measure of the perceptibility of the
earthquake and its actual consequential damage.
 Relating intensity to peak ground acceleration is, in principle, illogical.
 The necessity of bridging the distance between historical earthquake observations

(based mainly on intensity) and code-defined forces (based entirely on peak ground
acceleration) warrants the efforts expended in correlating the two measures.
 The measurement of earthquake size should be based on the amount of energy

released at the focus. Therefore, magnitude scales have been defined as presented
hereafter.
30
Magnitude
► Local (or Richter) magnitude (ML)
 It is a measure of the maximum seismic wave amplitude A (in microns) recorded

on standard Wood-Anderson seismographs located at a distance of 100 kms from
the earthquake epicentre.
 Magnitude ML is related to A by the following relationship:
M L  log A  - logA 0 
where A0 is a calibration factor that depends on distance.
 Earthquakes with ML greater than 5.5 cause significant damage, while an

earthquake of ML=2 is the smallest event normally felt by people.
31
Magnitude (continued)
► Body wave magnitude (mb)

 It measures amplitudes of P-waves with periods of about 1.0 second.
 This scale is suitable for deep earthquakes.
 Magnitude mb is related to the amplitude A and period T of P-waves as follows:
A
m b  log    σΔ 
T
in which σ(Δ) is a function of the epicentre distance Δ (in degrees).
► Surface wave magnitude (MS)

 It is a measure of the amplitudes of LR-waves with a period of 20 seconds .
 MS is used for large earthquakes.
 The relation between amplitude A, period T, distance  and MS is given by:
A
M S  log    1.66  logΔ   3.30
T
where Δ is in degrees, the ground motion amplitude in microns and the period in
seconds.
32
► Moment magnitude (MW)

 It accounts for the mechanism of shear that takes place at earthquake sources.
 It is not related to any wavelength.
 Moment magnitude is defined as a function of the seismic moment M0:
M 0  G A Δu
in which G is the shear modulus of the material surrounding the fault, A is the fault
rupture area and Δu is the average displacement slip between opposite sides of
the fault.
 Mw is thus given by:
M w  0.67 log M 0   10.70
where M0 should be expressed in ergs.

33
• Magnitude scales do not increase monotonically with earthquake size.

• Saturation is evident as magnitude increases.
• Moment magnitude (Mw) is the only magnitude scale which does not suffer from the
saturation problem for great earthquakes: M ~ Mw.
9
MS
8 MJMA
mB
7 ML
Magnitude
mb
6
5
M~Mw
4
2
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Moment Magnitude Mw
Saturation of magnitude scales

34
Earthquake Earthquake Epicentre Reference Saturatio

Type Author Applicability
Size Depth distance Parameter n
ML Regional
Richter, 1935 Small Shallow < 600 km Wave amplitude ✔
(California)
mb Gutenberg & Small-to- Wave amplitude

Deep > 1000 km World-wide ✔
Richter, 1956 Medium (P-waves)
Richter &
Ms Wave Amplitude
Gutenberg, Large Shallow > 2000 km World-wide ✔
(LR-waves)
1936
Mw Kanamori,
All All All Seismic Moment World-wide n.a.
1977
 The general correlation between magnitude M and A is as follows:

M  log A   f d, h   C S  C R
in which the function f(d,h) accounts for epicentral distance d and focal depth
h. The coefficients CS and CR are station and regional corrections, respectively.
35
► Earthquake magnitude and seismic energy
 Earthquake magnitude can be used to quantify the amount of energy released

during fault rupture.
 Relationships between magnitudes and seismic energy exist, e.g.,
log E   1.5 M S  11.8

where E is in ergs. As the magnitude increases by one unit, the energy increases by
a factor of 31.6.
 mb and MS are related to seismic energy E as follows:
log E   2.4 m b  1.3

log E   1.5 M S  4.2
where E is expressed in joules.
36
► Magnitude-moment relationships
 Seismic moment M0 measures the energy E released by fault rupture during

earthquakes. The following relationship is applicable to all source mechanisms:
Δτ
E M0
2G
where Δ is the stress drop Δ = 1-2 and G is the shear modulus of the material
surrounding the fault.
 Magnitude-moment relationships have been defined empirically for periods less

than 20 seconds:
log M 0   1.5 M S  16.1
 Body wave magnitude mb can be related to MS over a wide range by the

following semi-empirical formula proposed by Gutenberg and Richter :
m b  0.63 M S  2.5
37
Correlation between magnitude and energy release

38
► Earthquake magnitude and fault rupture parameters for inter-plate

earthquakes
 MS as a function of the fault rupture length L:

M S L   6.04  0.71 logL 
mean value:
95th percentile: M S0.95  M S L   0.52
 Surface wave magnitude MS related to the maximum observed displacement of

fault D: M  a  b log D 
S
where the displacement D is in metres, while coefficients a and b are given below.
Fault Mechanism a b
Normal 6.67 0.75
Reverse 6.79 1.31
Strike-slip 6.97 0.80
 M S  4.15
Relationship between the fault surface  logS and
rupture 
S surface magnitude MS:
39
► Earthquake magnitude and fault rupture parameters for intra-plate

earthquakes
 Average source parameters and relevant magnitude scales are listed below:
Rupture length (km) Slip (m) mb MS log M0 (dyne-cm)

2.1 0.01 4.5 3.35 22.2
3.8 0.03 5.0 4.35 23.2
7.0 0.11 5.5 5.35 24.2
13.0 0.34 6.0 6.35 25.2
24.0 1.10 6.5 7.35 26.2
45.0 3.70 7.0 8.32 27.2
58.0 5.80 7.2 8.53 27.6
75.0 9.20 7.4 8.87 28.0
85.0 11.50 7.5 9.00 28.2
 Using the equations for inter-plate earthquakes may overestimate fault rupture
lengths.
40
Intensity-Magnitude Relationships
 Relationship between local magnitude ML and epicentral intensity I0 for Southern

California:
M L  0.67 I 0  1.00
 Relationship between mb and I0 which is useful in the central and eastern USA
m b  0.49 I 0  1.66
 Intensity-magnitude relationships proposed by Ambraseys:
M S  1.10  0.62  I i  1.30  10 3  ri  1.62  logri 
• For north-west Europe
M S  0.90  0.58  I i  1.10  10  ri  2.11  log ri 
3
• For the Alpine zone in Europe
where Ii the Modified Mercalli intensity of the ith isoseismal and ri the radius of
equivalent area enclosed by the ith isoseismal.
 Local geological conditions and focal depths can significantly affect the intensity
M S  0.66 I 0  1.70 log h   1.40
of earthquake ground motion. Semi-empirical formulations:
where the focal depth h should be expressed in kilometres and the intensity I0 in
the MM scale.
41
Problem 1.3
Calculate the surface wave magnitude MS for an earthquake with IMM of VII, in an
area that can be approximated to a circle with radius 20 km for a site at the
borders of the given isoseismal. This site is located in the Western United
States, but you may use the equation given below. Compare the ensuing value
with the estimates from relationships with other magnitude scales. Calculate
the fault surface displacements. Assume that the fault mechanism is normal
faulting.
M S  1.10  0.62 I i  1.30 10 3 ri  1.62 logri 

42
Source-to-Site Effects
 The characteristics of seismic waves are altered as they travel from the source to
the site of civil engineering works.
 Local site conditions may affect significantly the amplitude and frequency content
of earthquake ground motions.
 Nonlinearity of soil response and topographical effects may also significantly

influence ground motion parameters.
 The most important topographical parameter influencing local amplification of

ground motion is the steepness of a ridge.
43
Source-to-Site Effects (continued)
Quantitative
Structure Conditions Type Size
Predictability
Poor: generally
Amplification at top of under-predict size;
Sensitive to shape ratio, Ranges up to a factor of
Surface structure, rapid may be due to ridge-
largest for ratio between 30 but generally from
topography changes in amplitude ridge interaction and
0.2 and 0.6. about 2 to 20.
phase along slopes. three-dimensional
effects.
Good: away from
Effects most pronounced Broadband
Shallow and wide One-dimensional models edges one dimension
near edges; largely amplification near
(depth/width may under-predict at works well, near
vertically propagating edges due to
<0.25) sediment- higher frequencies by edges extend one
shear waves away from generation of surface
filled valleys about 2 near edges. dimension to higher
edges. waves.
frequencies.
One-dimensional models
Deep and narrow Broadband may under-predict for a Fair: given detailed
(depth/width Effects throughout valley amplification across wide bandwidth by about 2 description of vertical
>0.25) sediment- width. valley due to whole to 4; resonant frequencies and lateral changes
filled valleys valley modes. shifted from one in material properties.
dimensional analysis.
Effects of topographic and subsurface irregularities

44
Directional Effects
► Directivity
 Directivity occurs because fault ruptures are moving wave sources which travel at
a finite velocity along the fault and beyond.
 The engineering implication of such directivity effects is that sites which are
equidistant from the source will be subjected to varying degrees of shaking from
the same earthquake.
 Rupture directivity also causes the polarisation of ground motion.
 Polarisation causes more intense shaking in the fault-normal direction than in the
fault-parallel direction.
45
Directional Effects (continued)
 As the fault rupture moves away from the epicentre it generates ground motion from
each segment of the breaking fault. The ground motion radiates outwards in all
directions and the seismic energy propagates through expanding wave fronts.
 The over-riding of stress waves or ‘constructive interference’ results in larger ground

motion magnification with shorter total duration in the direction of rupture
propagation.
Directivity effects on sites toward and away from direction of fault rupture
46
Site Effects
► Site resonance effect
 The ratio between the period of the site and that of the building is important in
estimating the amplification effects; this is referred to as ‘site resonance’.
 The site period TS for uniform single soil layer on bedrock can be estimated from the
relationship:
4H
TS 
vS
where H and vS are the depth of soil layer and soil shear wave velocity, respectively.
 Periods associated to higher modes can be determined as follows:
1 4H
TS, n 
2 n 1 v S
in which n represents the n-th mode of vibration (n >1).

47
Site Effects (continued)
Material Depth, H (m)

(type) 1< H < 6 7 < H < 15 H ≥ 15
Loose saturated sand 60 - -
Sandy clay 100 250 -
Fine saturated sand 110 - -
Clay/sand mix 140 - -
Dense sand 160 - -
Gravel with stone 180 - -
Medium gravel 200 - -
Clayey sand with gravel - 330 -
Medium gravel - - 780
Hard sandstone - - 1200
Shear wave velocity for foundation materials

48
 In alluvial surface layers vibrations are amplified due to multi-reflection effects.
 The ratio of the amplitude ag at the ground surface to the amplitude at the lower
boundary layer (bedrock) ab is given by:
1

ag  2 ωH ωH 2

  cos  2 2
sin 
ab  vs vs 
in which  is the natural circular frequency of the soil layer and  is the wave-
propagation impedance:
ρs vs

ρb vb
where and v are the density and velocity of the surface layer (subscript s) and
lower layer (subscript b), respectively.
49
 It is recommended that the ratio between the building and site periods be as distinct
from unity as possible.
 The nature of soil response in earthquakes depends on the amplitude, frequencies

and duration of motion.
 High amplitude motion tends to cause inelasticity in the soil. Long duration shaking
increases the susceptibility to liquefaction of saturated and partially saturated soils.
 When the soil responds elastically, the observed motions at the surface are
amplified proportional to the input ground motion.
 For inelastic response, the soil absorbs large amounts of the energy corresponding
to large amplitude ground motions.
 Large earthquake vibrations travelling through inelastic media will exhibit lower
accelerations and large displacements, corresponding to long periods.
50
Dispersion and Incoherence
 Dispersion and incoherence may be thought of as the result of the combination of

three effects:
i. Wave passage effect: represents the time delay in the arrival of seismic waves on the
ground surface at different stations or sites;
ii. Extended source effect: number and size of earthquake sources affecting the seismicity at
a site may cause delays in the arrival time of waves;
iii. Ray path effect: caused by reflection and refraction of waves through the soil during their
propagation, non-homogeneities of soil layers and other differences in local soil
conditions under the various stations.
Sources of local spatial variability of ground motions: wave passage effect (left),
extended source effect (middle) and ray path effects (right)
51
Dispersion and Incoherence (continued)
 The coherence of two ground motions is a measure of correlation of amplitudes

and phase angles at different frequencies.
 Incoherence is strongly frequency-dependent.
 Coherence starts to decrease significantly for higher frequencies.
 Dispersion and incoherence of earthquake ground motions do not generally affect

short span structures but they may significantly influence the dynamic (and static)
response of long span structures.
 Significant spatial variability may often occur whenever the large plan dimensions
are combined with irregularities in the soil profile along the travel path.
 For long distances and rather stiff structures totally uncorrelated ground motions
with appropriate frequency content should be considered.
52
Problem 1.4
What is the natural period of a layered soil with medium gravel of depth 40m?
Is it safe to build a multi-storey building with fundamental period of vibration
equal to 1.5 seconds, as that displayed in the figure below, on a site with the
above soil type? Is this site more suitable for a particular type of structure
from those shown below?
T=1.5 secs
T = 4.5 secs
T=0.2 secs
Vs=780 m/sec Ts= ? H=40m

53
Effects of Earthquakes
 Comprehensive regional earthquake impact assessment requires an

interdisciplinary framework that encompasses the definition of the hazard event,
physical damage and social and economic consequences.
 Such an integrated framework may provide the most credible estimates with
associated uncertainty that can stand scientific and political scrutiny.
 Physical damage should be evaluated for the building stocks, lifeline systems,
transportation networks and critical facilities.
 Short and long term effects should be considered in quantifying social and
economic consequences.
54
Effects of Earthquakes (continued)
Hazard Physical Assessment Social and Economic
Event Damage of Impact Consequences
Short Term Long Term
Building Stock
Emergency Shelter, Housing Relocation,
Temporary Housing Displacement
Direct Damage, Price Fiscal Impacts,

Transportation Increases, Business Economic Business Failure,
Systems Interruption, Supply Loss Job Loss,
Disruption Reconstruction
Social Vulnerability
Infrastructure Casualties, Fatalities, Health Psychological
Systems Health Care Disruption Distress,
Chronic Injury
Critical Social
Facilities Emergency Supplies, Disruption Family Stress,
Family Separation Neighborhood
Disruption
Integrated view of Hazard, Physical, Social and Economic Consequences

55
 The fundamental components of earthquake loss assessment are:
i. Hazard or exposure;
ii. Inventory or assets;
iii. Vulnerability or fragility.
 Hazard or exposure is the description of the earthquake ground motion .
 Inventory comprises the assets that are subjected to the hazard.
 Vulnerability or fragility is the sensitivity of the assets to damage from shaking .
 Seismic risk is the product of hazard and vulnerability for a unit value of assets.
56
Fundamental components for earthquake loss estimations

57
Earthquake Effects
Direct Effects Indirect Effects
Ground Shaking Landslides
Ground Effects
Ground Cracking Tsunamis
Ground Effects
Ground Lurching Seiches

Differential Ground Settlement
Avalanches
Soil Liquefaction
Rockfalls
Lateral Spreading
Landslides
Floods
Other Effects
Rockfalls
Fires
Structural Effects
Vibrations of Structures
Toxic
Falling Objects
Contamination
Structural Damage
Structural Collapse
Direct and indirect earthquake effects

58
Damage to Buildings and Lifelines
► Typical damage to building structures
Masonry & RC Steel & Composite
Structural Structural
Observed damage Observed damage
element/system element/system
Shear failure, concrete cover Flange and/or web yielding, local
Beams Beams
spalling, rebar buckling buckling, brittle fracture
Cracking, crushing, concrete cover
Flange yielding, local buckling, brittle
spalling, rebar buckling and pull-
Columns Columns fracture, splice failure, member
out, flexural and shear failure, short
buckling
column effect
Cracking, crushing, rebar buckling Local and member buckling, brittle
Connections Braces
and pull-out, shear failure fracture
X-shaped cracks, crushing, rebar Yielding, local buckling, brittle
Structural Walls
buckling, overturning, rocking, Connections fracture, weld cracks, excessive panel
and Infills
sliding deformations, bolt rupture
Bolt anchorage rupture, weld cracks
Settlement, rebar pull-out, rocking,
Foundations Foundations and fracture, pull-out, excessive base
sliding, uplifting
plate deformations
Soft and weak storeys, excessive
Soft and weak storeys, excessive
residual deformations, distress in
residual deformations, distress in
Frames diaphragms and connectors, Frames
diaphragms and connectors,
pounding, rocking, uplifting, fall of
pounding, uplifting
parapets and brick chimneys
 Some reconnaissance reports of damage are available at
https://www.ideals.uiuc.edu/handle/2142/8798
59
Damage to Buildings and Lifelines (continued)
► Typical types of damage to lifelines
Highways & Railways Gas & Electric Power Water & Waste Systems Communication Systems
Bending and shear failure Cracks and ruptures in Breakage of pipelines and Damage to electronic
of RC piers the network leakages in the network switching systems
Local and overall buckling Brittle fracture to
of steel and composite porcelain components in Sloshing and suction damage
Damage to phone lines
piers. Brittle fracture of high-voltage transmission in metal storage tanks
welded components stations and substations
Pounding and unseating Damage to switching
Elephant foot and shell Damage to telephone
at hinge seats and deck systems, cranes and
buckling in metal tanks system buildings
supports tanks in power plants
Cracks, large gaps and/or
Disruptions of electric Cracks and leaks in concrete Malfunctioning of computer
settlements in pavements
power supply basins networks
of highways
Malfunctioning of process Malfunctioning and/or
Rails bending or rupture Fires and explosions due
equipments associated with collapse of transmission
and train derails to gas leaks
ground settlement or rocking towers
 Reconnaissance reports of damage to lifelines are published by the Earthquake

Engineering Research Institute (http:\\www.eeri.org)
60
Effects on the Ground
► Surface rupture
 Rupture of the ground surface may be induced by intense and long shaking as
well as direct fault ruptures. These may generate deep cracks and large gaps in
the ground.
 The effects of major fault ruptures can be extreme on structures; buildings can be
ripped into parts. Cracks and gaps in the ground may also cause serious damage
to transportation systems and underground utility networks.
 Earthquake-induced ground shaking may cause cracking of the ground surface in

soft, saturated soil.
 Movements of soil or rock masses at right angles to cliffs and steep slopes occur.
Structures founded either in part or whole on such masses may experience
significant lateral and vertical deformations.
61
Effects on the Ground (continued)
► Surface rupture - Example (Nojima fault on Awaji Island)
 Nine kilometres of surface rupture along the Noijma fault on Awaji Island was
observed in the 1995 earthquake in Japan.
Fault rupture observed in northern Awaji Island during the 1995 Kobe (Japan) earthquake: aerial
view with the fault rupture that cuts across the middle of the picture (left) and close-up showing
both vertical and horizontal offset of the Nojima fault (right)
62
► Settlement and uplift
 Fault ruptures may cause large vertical movements of the ground.
 Granular soils are compacted by the ground shaking induced by earthquakes,

leading to subsidence. This type of ground movement affects dry, partially saturated
and saturated soils with high permeability.
Effects of ground settlements and uplift during the 1999 Kocaeli (Turkey) earthquake: flooding
(left) and artificial water falls (right)
63
► Liquefaction
 Excessive build-up of pore water pressure during earthquakes may lead to the
loss of stiffness and strength of soils. The excessive pore water pressure cause
ejection of the soil through holes in the ground, thus creating sand boils.
 The ejection of soil causes loss of support of foundations and thus structures
tilt or sink into the ground.
Sand boils during the 1998 Adana-Ceyhan (Turkey) earthquake (left) and the
2001 Bhuj (India) earthquake (right)
64
 Retaining walls may tilt or break from the fluid-like pressure of the liquefied zone.
Heavy building structures may tilt due to the loss of bearing strength by underlying
soil.
 Soil liquefaction may cause the floating to the ground surface of pile foundations
with low axial loads and underground light-weight storage tanks.
Collapse due to soil liquefaction: settlement and tilting of buildings in the 1964 Niigata (Japan)
earthquake (left); soil boils and cracks at pier foundations of Nishinomiya-ko bridge in the 1995
Kobe (Japan) earthquake (right)
65
► Landslides
 Landslides include several types of ground failure and movement.
 The scale of such landslides on natural slopes can be large enough to devastate
entire villages or towns, such as the Huascaran Avalanche triggered by the Perú
earthquake (1970, Mw = 7.8).
 Most of the more than 1,000 landslides and rockfalls occurred in the epicentral zone
in the Santa Cruz Mountains during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
 In the 1994 Northridge earthquake landslides that occurred in Santa Monica, along
the Pacific Coast Highway, caused damage to several family houses built on the
cliffs overlooking the ocean.
 Relatively few landslides were triggered by the Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake in

Japan. This is partly due to the fact that the earthquake occurred during the dry
season and the affected area is mainly flat.
66
 In the Kashmir earthquake of October 8, 2005, land-sliding and critical slope

stability was a widespread problem that ranged from limited slumping of a
superficial nature to complete failure of entire mountain sides.
Effects of a large landslide in Santa Monica in the 1994 Northridge (California) earthquake (left) and
satellite view of extensive land-sliding during the 2005 Kashmir (Pakistan) earthquake in the Neela
Dandi Mountain (right)
67
Problem 1.5
The 17 August 1999 Kocaeli (Mw=7.4) and 12 November 1999 Düzce (Mw=7.2)
earthquakes were the largest natural disasters of the twentieth century in
Turkey after the 1939 Erzincan earthquake. These earthquakes caused severe
damage and collapse especially of building structures. The figure below
shows damage observed in the cities of Adapazari and Izmit (Kocaeli
earthquake). Comment on the relationship between the observed damage and
the earthquake-induced ground effects illustrated earlier.
Damage observed during the 17 August 1999 Kocaeli in Adapazari (left) and Izmit in Turkey
(right)
68
Human and Financial Losses
 During the twentieth century, over 1,200 destructive earthquakes occurred world-
wide and caused damage estimated at more than $1.0 trillion.
 Monetary losses from earthquakes are increasing rapidly.
 Between 1990 and 1999 annual earthquake losses were estimated at $20 billion.
 The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a study estimating

annualized earthquake losses in the USA to be $4.4 billion, with California, Oregon
and Washington accounting for $3.3 billion of the total estimated amount.
 In the USA, 39 out of 50 states (nearly 80%) are at high risk from devastating
earthquakes. The Central and Eastern States in the USA now recognise earthquakes
as a major threat.
69
Human and Financial Losses (continued)
 It is estimated that on average 10,000 people per year were killed by earthquakes
between 1900 and 1999.
 Between 1900 and 2007, deaths due to earthquakes totalled about 1.8 million,
caused by 1,250 earthquakes.
300000 10 300000 10
Kansu, China (MS=8.5) Tangshan, China (MS=7.8)
250000 250000
8 8
200000 200000
Deaths (No.)
Magnitude (MS)
Magnitude (MS)
Deaths (No.)
6 6
150000 150000
`
4 4
100000 Deaths Magnitude 100000 Deaths Magnitude
2 2
50000 50000
0 0 0 0
1983
2005
1923
1950
1971
1976
1978
1980
1987
1989
1990
1992
1994
1998
2001
1906
1915
1939
1948
1960
1963
1964
1970
Year Year
Death toll due to earthquakes: 1900-1970 (left) and 1971-2005 (right)

70
 Several reconnaissance reports have shown that building collapses caused 75% of
earthquake fatalities during the last century.
 Earthquake damage resulting in the collapse of monuments, historical places of

worship and stately buildings represents an irreplaceable loss in terms of cultural
heritage, while their restoration costs exceed by far the gross national product
(GNP) of many affected nations.
 One of the most severe consequences of earthquakes is the cost of recovery and
reconstruction.
 It is instructive to note, however, that the absolute financial loss is less critical to
an economy than the loss as a percentage of the GNP.
71
 The ‘business interruption’ issue has emerged lately as a major concern to

industry and hence to communities.
 Another aspect of the economic impact is the ‘loss of market share’ which results
from interruption to production in industrial facilities and difficulties in re-claiming
the share of the market that the affected business previously held.
Country Earthquake Year Loss ($ bn) GNP ($ bn) Loss (% GNP)

Nicaragua Managua 1972 2.0 5.0 40.0
Guatemala Guatemala City 1976 1.1 6.1 18.0
Romania Bucharest 1977 0.8 26.7 3.0
Yugoslavia Montenegro 1979 2.2 22.0 10.0
Italy Campania 1980 45.0 661.8 6.8
Mexico Mexico City 1985 5.0 166.7 3.0
Greece Kalamata 1986 0.8 40.0 2.0
El Salvador San Salvador 1986 1.5 4.8 31.0
USSR Armenia 1988 17.0 566.7 3.0
Iran Manjil 1990 7.2 100.0 7.2
Earthquake financial losses

Chapter 1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1

Amr S. Elnashai and Luigi Di Sarno

 It has become an interdisciplinary subject involving seismologists, structural and

 An earthquake is manifested as ground shaking caused by the sudden release of

 Earthquake occurrence may be explained by the theory of large-scale tectonic

 Intense seismic activity occurs predominantly on known plate boundaries.

Tectonic plates (left) and worldwide earthquake distribution (right)

Cross-section of the Earth with the main type plate boundaries

► The principal types of plate boundaries

 Convergent or subduction zones: adjacent plates converge and collide. A

 Shallow and intermediate earthquakes also occur at convergent zones.

 Deep earthquakes are generally located in subduction zones.

Tectonic mechanisms at plate boundaries

► Classification of tectonic earthquakes

• Intra-plate earthquakes generally fall in two groups:

- Plate boundary-related earthquakes;

Earthquake Slip rate (v) Recurrence time

Parameters used to describe fault dimension and motion

Fault trace Fault plane

Left-Lateral Strike Slip Fault Right-Lateral Strike Slip Fault

Fundamental fault mechanisms

► Fault mechanisms Fault mechanisms as a function of the rake (λ)

 Earthquake foci are located by geographical coordinates, namely latitude and

Definition of source parameters

 Crustal earthquakes normally have depths of about 30 km or less.

 Body waves attenuate in inverse proportion to the distance x.

 P-waves cause alternate  S-wave propagation causes vertical

Ratios (vP∙vS) / (vP-vS)

km, Δt in seconds) Depth of Earth's Layers (in km)

 The procedure to locate an earthquake epicentre and origin time is as follows:

a) Obtain seismogram records for a given observation site;

g) Repeat steps (a) to (f) for a second seismic station;

► Love (L- or LQ-) waves ► Rayleigh (R- or LR-) waves

 LQ-waves have large amplitudes  LR-waves exhibit very large amplitude

 Earthquake size can be expressed in several ways.

 Qualitative (non-instrumental) measurement.

 Quantitative (instrumental) measurement.

 Discrete scales are used to quantify seismic intensity.

i. Mercalli_Cancani-Seiberg (MCS): 12-level scale used in southern Europe;

iii. Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik (MSK): 12-level scale developed in Central and

v. Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA): 7-level scale used in Japan.

Comparison and equivalence between seismic intensity scales

 Structures in the immediate vicinity of earthquake sources experience very high

 Relating intensity to peak ground acceleration is, in principle, illogical.

 The necessity of bridging the distance between historical earthquake observations

 The measurement of earthquake size should be based on the amount of energy

► Local (or Richter) magnitude (ML)

 It is a measure of the maximum seismic wave amplitude A (in microns) recorded

 Magnitude ML is related to A by the following relationship:

where A0 is a calibration factor that depends on distance.

 Earthquakes with ML greater than 5.5 cause significant damage, while an

► Body wave magnitude (mb)

► Surface wave magnitude (MS)

► Moment magnitude (MW)

where M0 should be expressed in ergs.

• Magnitude scales do not increase monotonically with earthquake size.

Saturation of magnitude scales

Earthquake Earthquake Epicentre Reference Saturatio

mb Gutenberg & Small-to- Wave amplitude

 The general correlation between magnitude M and A is as follows:

► Earthquake magnitude and seismic energy

 Earthquake magnitude can be used to quantify the amount of energy released

 Relationships between magnitudes and seismic energy exist, e.g.,