Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering

This fully updated second edition provides an introduction to geotechnical earthquake engineering for first-year graduate students in geotechnical or earthquake engineering graduate programs with a level of detail that will also be useful for more advanced students as well as researchers and practitioners. It begins with an introduction to seismology and earthquake ground motions, then presents seismic hazard analysis and performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) principles. Dynamic soil properties pertinent to earthquake engineering applications are examined, both to facilitate understanding of soil response to seismic loads and to describe their practical measurement as part of site characterization. These topics are followed by site response and its analysis and soil–structure interaction. Ground failure in the form of soil liquefaction, cyclic softening, surface fault rupture, and seismically induced landslides are also addressed, and the book closes with a chapter on soil improvement and hazard mitigation. The first edition has been widely used around the world by geotechnical engineers as well as many seismologists and structural engineers.

The main text of this book and the four appendices:

• Cover fundamental concepts in applied seismology, geotechnical engineering, and structural dynamics
• Contain numerous references for further reading, allowing for detailed exploration of background or more advanced material
• Present worked example problems that illustrate the application of key concepts emphasized in the text
• Include chapter summaries that emphasize the most important points
• Present concepts of performance-based earthquake engineering with an emphasis on uncertainty and the types of probabilistic analyses needed to implement PBEE in practice
• Present a broad, interdisciplinary narrative, drawing from the fields of seismology, geotechnical engineering, and structural engineering to facilitate holistic understanding of how geotechnical earthquake engineering is applied in seismic hazard and risk analyses and in seismic design

Dr. Steven L. Kramer is Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington. He received his BS, M.Eng., and PhD degrees from U.C. Berkeley. Kramer joined the geotechnical group in the Department of Civil Engineering in 1984. His primary research interests included soil liquefaction, site response analysis, seismic slope stability, and hazard analysis. He has conducted research work in the area of performance-based earthquake engineering, specifically the integration of probabilistic response analyses with probabilistic seismic hazard analyses, and remains active in soil liquefaction research. Kramer has served as a consultant to private firms and government agencies on projects including high-rise structures, bridges, dams, seawalls, levees, underground structures, offshore structures/facilities, and nuclear facilities in the U.S. and abroad. He holds numerous honors and awards, including being elected into the National Academy of Engineering, and being named as a Distinguished Member of ASCE and an Honorary Member of the IAEE.

Dr. Jonathan P. Stewart is a Professor in the Samueli School of Engineering at UCLA. He received his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees from U.C. Berkeley. He focuses his research on geotechnical earthquake engineering and engineering seismology, with emphases on seismic soil-structure interaction, earthquake ground-motion characterization, site response, seismic ground failure, and the seismic performance of structural fills and levee embankments. Findings from his research have been widely utilized in engineering practice, including through the National Seismic Hazard Model, produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, and the American Society of Civil Engineers’ guidelines for new and existing structures. He maintains an active consulting practice related to seismic hazard analysis, site response, seismic performance assessment, and geotechnical engineering for private and public agencies world-wide. His work has been recognized with best-paper awards, honorary lectures, teaching awards, and election to the National Academy of Engineering.