Seismic design

Trisha Sun
W & M Consultants, Singapore
Xian Jiaotong University, China
Chapter 1. General knowledge

• Basic knowledge and causes of earthquake

• Seismic activity
• Earthquake wave
• Magnitude and intensity
1.1 Earthquake
Earthquakes are defined as a vibration of the
earth's surface that occurs after a release of
energy in the earth's crust

Earthquakes occur all the time all over the world,

both along plate edges and along faults

Earthquakes cannot be predicted, but they can be

foreseen and they have some patterns
1.2 The category of earthquake

• Tectonic earthquake
• Volcanic earthquake
• Subsidence of the earth's crust (such as collapsing of cave)

• Artificial explosions, mining and engineering activities

1.3 Earth structure

Earth’s crust Earth's crust is

Radius of 6378 Km

outer layer of the

mantle planet

Outer core

corn
1.4 Where Do Earthquakes Happen

• Along Plate Edges

• Along Faults (far from the edges of plates)
Plates theory：
• The earth's crust (outer layer of the planet) is made up of
numerous segments or "plates" that are constantly moving slowly

• Vibrations can occur and result in small earthquakes

• Most earthquakes are quite small but are not readily felt

• Larger and more violent earthquakes are those that occur in a

release of energy as the plates slide past or collide into one
another
AN IMAGE OF THE WORLD'S PLATES AND THEIR BOUNDARIES
 Plates are collide
Plates are sliding Collide
into each other
past each other
Plate Edges

section show earth's crust of the plates moving and plate edge
Major plates in the earth
( consist of oceanic and continental plates)

• American Plate
• Eurasian Plate
• Indo-Australian Plate
• Pacific Plate
• Antarctic Plate
• Etc.
Fault theory
• Faults are cracks in the earth where sections of a plate
(or two plates) are moving in different directions.

• Faults are caused by all that bumping and sliding the

plates do. They are more common near the edges of the
plates.

• Deformation caused by Interaction between plates

during movement in the plates (by compression)

• Rock fraction or dislocation will occurs by over

deformation
Types of Faults
Reverse faults are cracks
formed where one plate is
Normal faults are the pushing into another plate.
cracks where one block of
rock is sliding downward
and away from another
block of rock

Two strike-slip faults : the cracks between two

plates that are sliding past each other, most famous
fault in in California, the San Andreas fault , has
caused a lot of powerful earthquakes.
Plate under force of compression

Original

Deformation Fault

Strike-slip
faults
Typical case of the folded layer of the
granite under long-term compression
1.5 Technical term for earthquake

transaction
Horizontal
epicentre Longitudinal wave

Depth to

transaction
Vertical
origin

Origin Transversal wave

Definition of degree of earthquake from origin

shallow < 60km middle 60~300km deep >300km
1.6 Earthquake Sequence 地震序列

Definition of sequence:
A series earthquake happened in adjacent area with
certain time
在一定时间内相继发生在相邻地区的一系列大小地震

• Major model 主震型 60%

• Group model 震群型 30%
• Isolate model 孤立型 10%
2. Overview of seismic activities
2.1 Frequency
• An average of 5 million times per year
• About 1000 times for 5 degree above per year
• About 2 times for 8 degree above per year
magnitude
frequency

Frequency, 20 century, Mainland, China

Active period－－ Flat period

2.1 Distribution of earthquake Major zone in the world

1. Circum-Pacific Seismic Belt

Include the Pacific coast of North and South America and the Aleutian
Islands, Kamchatka, Kuril Islands Japan Islands to Taiwan in the South,
then turned to the South-East of the islands of the Philippines, until New
Zealand

2. Himalaya-Eastern Mediterranean Seismic Belt

From India, and Nepal to China via Myanmar Hengduan mountain range,
the Himalayas, the Pamir, through Central Asia to the Eastern
Mediterranean and its vicinity.
 Earthquake hazard distribution in the world
(BC 525 AD 1989)

Himalaya-Eastern
Mediterranean seismic belt Circum-Pacific seismic belt
SABAH

Note: energy released from the two belts is almost 98% in the world
 Sabah

20 century pleistoseismic distribution in the word

Seismic Epicentral Distribution in China
Pleistoseismic Distribution in China

Pleistoseismic... of earthquakes in the regions with a high

degree of crustal activity allow to identify four types of
movement
3. Earthquake Wave

Waves from the origin will spared in all directions

(seismic wave) during the earthquake

Body wave: spread-inside the Earth

Surface wave: spread on the Earth's surface
 3.1 Body wave

 longitudinal wave: p wave

propagation in solids and liquids,
short period, amplitude is small.

 transversal wave：S wave，

propagation in solid only, longer
period, amplitude is bigger.

vp=1.67vs
3.2 surface wave

Love wave

Rayleigh wave

面波周期长、振幅大、衰减慢、震害大
Longer period, and amplitude, slow dampening , serious damage.

vR=vL=0.9vs
3.4 Records of Seismic Waves

（面波）
surface wave
（纵波）
longitudinal （横波）
transversal
wave wave
3.5 Application of seismic wave

• Confirmation of origin。
• Definition of earthquake magnitude
• Soil investigation and earth’s tectonic study
• Explore for nuclear explosions
4. Magnitude and Intensity震级与地震烈度
4.1 Magnitude

M  lg A M: International magnitude, Richter,1935

A: Maximum displacement record
100km from origin by measurement of
standard equipment
(unit : µm=10-6 m) Richter （1900～1985年）
When :
• M<2 , very minor earthquake；
• 2<M<4 can feel by human being
• M>5 destroy earthquake
• M>7 meizoseism earthquake
• M>8 rare earthquake

Note : World record：magnitude of 8.9 on 22 May 1960 at Chile，

4.2 Intensity 地震烈度

Intensity determined by followings

• The damage degree of building from the ground,
• The feeling of human being,
• Vibration and movement of objects.
Currently more by the ground-shaking speed and
acceleration

某一地点地面震动的强烈程度，由地面建筑的破坏程度，人的感觉，物体的振动及运动
强烈程度而定。现在主要由地面震动的速度和加速度确定。
4.3 Intensity Table

Evaluation of seismic intensity index:

• People feeling,
• Damage level of housing
• Other damage,
• Horizontal seismic ground dynamic parameters

Note: Seismic intensity table in china code (GB/T17742-2008)

is divided into 1 to 12 (different indexing methods in different countries)
4.4 Definition of Intensity Table
Ⅰ：No feeling from human being

Ⅱ：Limited feeling for individual stable people in house

Ⅵ ：Most unstable, few Stampede outdoor

A: the small number of moderate damage, most of the minor damage and/or largely intact;
B: moderate damage, and a few minor damage, mostly largely intact;
C: some slight damage, most of the largely intact;
Furniture and objects moved;

Cracks were found on river banks and soft soil,

Saturated sand blast taking water;
Separate minor cracks of brick chimney.

Peak acceleration 0.63m/s ², peak speed 0.06m/s.

Ⅷ ：Rolled and pitched the majority had trouble walking；
A: few destroyed, most of the serious /or moderate damage;
B: individual destroyed, a small number of seriously damaged,
most of the secondary /or minor moderate damage;
C: a few severe /or moderate damage, mostly minor damage;

Cracks in dry soil,

most sand water saturated sand,
most independent brick chimney damage

Peak acceleration 2.50m/s ², peak speed 0.25m/s

Ⅸ ：The unstable sitting action may wrestle seriously damaged,

walls cracked, partially collapsed, repair difficulties

peak acceleration 5.00m/s ², peak speed 0.50m/s。

Ⅹ ： Cyclists will fall down, unstable man broke away from the same place, tossing
A: most of the destroyed;
B: the most damage;
C: the majority of damage and/or serious damage

Landslides and earthquake rupture occurs,

damage of arch bridge on the bedrock,
most independent Brick chimneys from the root damage or destruction;
Peak acceleration 10.00m/s ², peak speed 1.00m/s.

ⅩⅡ: Housing the vast majority of damage

Earthquake rupture extended very large, massive landslides landslide

XI: Housing almost entirely destroyed;

Dramatic change on the ground, rivers change.
4.5 Basic seismic intensity and intensity zone
Basic Intensity: possibility of 10% probability for seismic intensity in an area under general site
condition within 50 years
基本烈度：一个地区在50年内，一般场地条件下可能遭遇超越概率为10%的地震烈度值

Basic period
Rare period

（多遇烈度） （设防烈度） （罕遇烈度）

Common intensity Defense intensity Extreme intensity
.55度 度左右
Difference by 1.55 Difference by 1.0
degree degree
 Seismic zoning. China Zone is divided into different
areas according to Basic
intensity , it is the seismic
design basis. Seismic intensity
zoning map (or new peak
acceleration of seismic zoning
map of China)

按基本烈度划分为不同的区，做为
抗震设计的依据。烈度区划图（或
新出的中国地震动峰值加速度区划
图）。

Design Basic acceleration values

Seismic Defence intensity 6 7 8 9
抗震设防烈度

Design Basic acceleration values 0.05g 0.1g（0.15g） 0.2g（0.3g） 0.4g

设计设计基本地震加速度值

value in bracket for special soil condition