INTRODUCTION TO

EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

• EXPLAIN THE GENERAL EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKES IN THE

BUILT ENVIRONMENT
• IDENTIFY TYPES OF EARTHQUAKES AND THEIR MECHANISMS
• ILLUSTRATE THE SEISMICITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
• DIFFERENTIATE MAGNITUDE AND INTENSITY AS
MEASUREMENT OF EARTHQUAKES
• CALCULATE THE MAGNITUDE OF AN EARTHQUAKE

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

EARTHQUAKES
BROAD-BANDED VIBRATORY GROUND MOTION, RESULTING
FROM A NUMBER OF CAUSES INCLUDING:
1. TECTONIC GROUND MOTIONS
2. VOLCANISM
3. LANDSLIDES
4. ROCK-BURSTS
5. MAN-MADE EXPLOSIONS
• STUDY OF EARTHQUAKES = SEISMOLOGY

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

SEISMIC HAZARDS
AGENTS THAT CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

FAULT RUPTURE GROUND SHAKING INUNDATION

RELEASE OF HAZARDOUS
LIQUEFACTION FIRE MATERIAL
GROUND MOTION (SHAKING)

• COMMON AND MOST

DOMINANT AGENT OF
DAMAGE
• DURATION: SECONDS TO
FEW MINUTES

EXCEPTION: 1985 MEXICO CITY EARTHQUAKE

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

MAIN GOAL FOR ENGINEERS
• MITIGATE HAZARDS INDUCED BY EARTHQUAKE AND OTHER
FORMS OF GROUND MOTION
• DAMAGES ARE ALWAYS CAUSED BY MAN-MADE STRUCTURES
• ENGINEERS CAN USE DESIGN CODE PROVISIONS TO ENSURE
EARTHQUAKE-RESISTANT DESIGN (at various levels)
o RESIST MINOR ERTHQUAKE WITHOUT DAMAGE
o RESIST MODERATE EARTHQUAKES WITHOUT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE,
BUT WITH NON-STRUCTURAL DAMAGE
o RESIST MAJOR EARTHQUAKES WITHOUT COLLAPSE, BUT WITH BOTH
STRUCTURAL AND NON-STRUCTURAL DAMAGE

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

TYPES OF EARTHQUAKES

MOTION BETWEEN NUMBER OF LARGE TECTONIC PLATES

TECTONIC COMPRISING THE EARTH’S CRUST

MOVEMENT OF MAGMA IN VOLCANIC VENTS CAUSE

VOLCANIC PRESSURE CHANGES IN SURROUNDING ROCKS, LEADING
TO RUPTURE AND RELEASE OF STRAIN ENERGY

EXPLOSIONS (ESP. NUCLEAR), MINE AND BUILDING

MAN-MADE COLLAPSES, FILLING/ EMPTYING ARTIFICIAL LAKES

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

TECTONIC EARTHQUAKES
DURING EARTH’S
FORMATION (4.5 BYA),
HOT GASES COOLED INTO
A SEMI-SOLID MASS
1-2 BILLION YEARS OF
COOLING DOWN LED TO:
1. SOLIDIFIED CRUST
2. CRACKING WHICH
RESULTED TO
TECTONIC PLATES
THEORY OF PLATE TECTONICS
STARTED WITH ALFRED WEGENER AS THEORY OF CONTINENTAL DRIFT
KEY POINTS:
1. LITHOSPHERE IS DIVIDED INTO CONTINENTAL AND OCEANIC PLATES
• CONTINENTAL (THICKER BUT LESS DENSE)
• OCEANIC (THINNER BUT DENSER)

2. PLATES MOVE AT DIFFERENT SPEED AND DIRECTION

• DIVERGENCE, CONVERGENCE, HORIZONTAL SLIP

3. MOTION WAS CAUSED BY GRAVITY (SIMILAR TO OCEAN TIDES)

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

THEORY OF PLATE TECTONICS
Heat difference drives
molten lava currents
produced by heated rock
near the core rising to the
surface due to their
density being less than
those at the bottom of the
plates. Some of these
cool down and become
dense, eventually
plunging back to the core

MECHANISM # 1: CONVECTION

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

THEORY OF PLATE TECTONICS

MECHANISM #2: RIDGE PUSH

MECHANISM #3: SLAB PULL

• Ridge push - new material rises

in the ridge but gravity pushes it
down

• Slab pull - density of older

lithosphere allows gravity to pull
these rocks into the mantle
PLATE BOUNDARIES / MARGINS
THREE TYPES OF PLATE MARGINS
1. DIVERGENT
• PLATES DRIFTING APART
2. CONVERGENT
• PLATES COLLIDING
• EARTHQUAKES MOST COMMON HERE
• SUBDUCTION OR FOLDING
3. TRANSFORM
• EDGES SCRAPE WITH EACH OTHER
• EARTHQUAKES WEAKER IN OCEANIC,
VIOLENT IN CONTINENTAL
ELASTIC REBOUND THEORY
PROPOSED BY HARRY FIELDING REID (1910) AFTER STUDIES ON REGIONAL
DEFORMATION FOLLOWING THE 1906 SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE.

STAGES OF PLATE MOVEMENT ASPERITIES

• PLATES MOVE IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER

• ASPERITIES CAUSE FRICTION WHICH RESIST MOTION AND BUILDS UP STRAIN
• ROCK FRACTURES AS SHEAR STRESS EXCEEDS ROCK STRENGTH
• THE STRAIN ENERGY RELEASED EITHER CAUSES GROUND CREEP OR AN EARTHQUAKE
ELASTIC REBOUND THEORY
PROPOSED BY HARRY FIELDING REID (1910) AFTER STUDIES ON REGIONAL
DEFORMATION FOLLOWING THE 1906 SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE.

STAGES OF PLATE MOVEMENT ASPERITIES

• Asperity is an area on a fault that is stuck or locked

ORIGIN OF AN EARTHQUAKE

HYPOCENTER / FOCUS
• ORIGIN OF EARTHQUAKE
RUPTURE

EPICENTER
• POINT ON THE GROUND ABOVE
THE FOCUS

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

SEISMIC WAVES
STRAIN ENERGY RELEASED FROM RUPTURE PROPAGATES TO SURROUNDING
STRATA AS WAVES

TWO TYPES:
1. BODY WAVES
2. SURFACE WAVES

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

SEISMIC WAVES
STRAIN ENERGY RELEASED FROM RUPTURE PROPAGATES TO
SURROUNDING STRATA AS WAVES

BODY WAVES
• BODY WAVES ARE SEISMIC WAVES THAT TRAVEL THROUGH THE EARTH'S
INTERIOR SPREADING OUTWARD FROM THE FOCUS IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
• FIRST WAVES TO ORIGINATE FROM THE FOCUS FOLLOWING THE
EARTHQUAKE
• FASTER WAVES – USED TO DETECT FOCUS AND EPICENTER

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

BODY WAVES
PRIMARY (P-WAVES) SECONDARY (S-WAVES)

• PUSH-PULL MOTION • ENERGY TRANSMITTED AT

RIGHT ANGLES WITH
• FASTEST WAVE DIRECTION OF MOTION
• TRAVELS IN SOLIDS AND • CANNOT TRAVEL IN LIQUIDS
LIQUIDS
SEISMIC WAVES
STRAIN ENERGY RELEASED FROM RUPTURE PROPAGATES TO
SURROUNDING STRATA AS WAVES

SURFACE WAVES
• SURFACE WAVES ARE SEISMIC WAVES THAT TRAVEL ON THE EARTH'S
SURFACE AWAY FROM THE EPICENTER.
• BODY WAVES THAT HAVE REACHED THE GROUND SURFACE
• MORE DESTRUCTIVE

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

SURFACE WAVES
LOVE WAVES RAYLEIGH WAVES

• SIDE-TO-SIDE MOTION • MOTION SIMILAR TO

• KNOCKS BUILDINGS OCEAN WAVES
AND BRIDGES OFF • SLOWEST YET MOST
FOUNDATIONS DESTRUCTIVE
FAULTS
PHYSICAL EXPRESSION OF THE TECTONIC PLATE BOUNDARIES
FRACTURES IN THE BEDROCK WHERE SLIDING HAS TAKEN PLACE

1. DIP-SLIP FAULTS
• NORMAL
• REVERSE
• THRUST
2. STRIKE-SLIP FAULTS
• LEFT-LATERAL
• RIGHT-LATERAL
3. OBLIQUE-SLIP FAULTS
SEISMICITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
• SIGNIFICANT SEISMIC ACTIVITY (RING OF FIRE)
• OBLIQUE CONVERGENCE BETWEEN SUNDA PLATE
AND THE PHILIPPINE SEA PLATE
• UNIQUE TECTONIC FEATURES
• 2 SUBDUCTION ZONES ON EACH SIDE
• A TRANSFORM FAULT TRAVERSING THE ARCHIPELAGO
There are two subduction zones moving in opposite directions on
each side of the archipelago, with a major transform fault system
(Philippine Fault) traversing between these zones. The
northwestward movement of the Pacific Plate pushes the
Philippine Sea Plate underneath the eastern portion of the
Philippine Islands while the Sunda Plate (a block of the Eurasian
plate) is subducting beneath the western portion of the Philippine
Islands
SEISMICITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
• UNIQUE TECTONIC FEATURES
• PALAWAN-MINDORO CONTINENTAL
BLOCK
• Originally part of the Asian mainland
• Separated from the Asian landmass (Mesozoic),
followed by steady drift towards the south during the
formation of the West Philippine Sea (Late
Paleogene)
• PHILIPPINE MOBILE BELT
• Originated from island arc formations during
Cretaceous period
• A zone of decoupling from surrounding major
tectonic plates (also called Philippine Microplate)
SEISMICITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
MAJOR FAULT SYSTEMS IN THE PHILIPPINES
1. PHILIPPINE FAULT SYSTEM (1200 KM)
2. MARIKINA VALLEY FAULT SYSTEM
• WEST AND EAST VALLEY FAULTS
3. LUBANG-VERDE PASSAGE SYSTEM
4. EAST ZAMBALES FAULT
5. WEST ILOCOS FAULT SYSTEM
6. CENTRAL MINDORO FAULT
7. MINDANAO FAULT
NOTABLE QUAKES IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
1. MW 8.3 CELEBES SEA EARTHQUAKE (1918)
• RESULTED INTO A TSUNAMI
2. MW 7.8 LADY CAYCAY EARTHQUAKE (1948)
• OTON CHURCH SEVERELY DAMAGED, JARO CATHEDRAL
DAMAGED
3. MW 7.6 CASIGURAN EARTHQUAKE (1968)
• TSUNAMI + BUILDING COLLAPSE IN MANILA
4. MW 8.0 MORO GULF EARTHQUAKE (1976)
• TSUNAMI, 8000 DEAD (QUAKE DURING MIDNIGHT)
5. MW 7.8 LUZON EARTHQUAKE (1990)
• DAMAGES IN DAGUPAN (LIQUEFACTION), BAGUIO, AND
CABANATUAN
6. MW 7.2 BOHOL EARTHQUAKE (2013)
• MAJOR DAMAGES TO SEVERAL HERITAGE CHURCHES
NOTABLE QUAKES IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
The number of impacted people
is increasing following the 7.6 M
earthquake of 2 December that
struck Hinatuan Municipality in
Surigao Del Sur Province, Caraga
Region, Mindanao, southern
Philippines. Over the past 24
hours, dozens of aftershocks up
to 5.7 M have been recorded in
the area by the Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and
Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
MEASUREMENT OF EARTHQUAKES
SEISMOMETER
• INSTRUMENT MEASURING GROUND MOTION
SEISMOGRAPH
• CONTAINS SEISMOMETER AND ACCOMPANYING
RECORDING DEVICES
SEISMOGRAM
• RECORDING OF GROUND MOTION AT LOCATION OF
SEISMOMETER
LOCATING EARTHQUAKES

1. DETERMINE
DISTANCE OF
EARTHQUAKE FROM
SEISMOGRAPH
• TIME DELAY BETWEEN
P-WAVE AND S-WAVE
TO BE MEASURED

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

LOCATING EARTHQUAKES
• TIME TRAVEL CURVE DETERMINES DISTANCE AS
FUNCTION OF TIME DELAY

THIS PROCESS IS REPEATED

FOR 2 OTHER STATIONS IN A
PROCESS CALLED
TRIANGULATION
EARTHQUAKE DEPTHS

1. SHALLOW (0 TO 70 KILOMETERS DEEP)

2. INTERMEDIATE (70 TO 350 KILOMETERS DEEP)
3. DEEP (350 TO 670 KILOMETERS DEEP)

*Harder to measure depth compared to location of epicenter

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

INTENSITY VS MAGNITUDE
Magnitude is a measure of earthquake size and remains
unchanged with distance from the earthquake.

Intensity, however, describes the degree of shaking

caused by an earthquake at a given place and
decreases with distance from the earthquake epicenter.

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

INTENSITY VS MAGNITUDE

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

INTENSITY
• SUBJECTIVE METHOD OF MEASURING EARTHQUAKE IMPACT
• QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE
• SUBJECTIVITY MAKES IT INCONSISTENT
• STILL HELPFUL FOR ASSESSING HISTORICAL DATA
INTENSITY SCALES:
1. MODIFIED MERCALLI SCALE (USGS - United States Geological Survey)
• 12 POINT SCALE DEVELOPED BY GIUSEPPE MERCALLI (1902) AND MODIFIED BY HARRY WOOD
AND FRANK NEUMANN (1931)
2. PHIVOLCS EARTHQUAKE INTENSITY SCALE
• 10 POINT SCALE BASED ON THE ROSSI-FOREL SCALE PREVIOUSLY USED UNTIL 1996.
• DEVELOPED IN RESPONSE TO 1990 LUZON EARTHQUAKE

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

MODIFIED MERCALLI SCALE
This scale is used to calibrate the observations of people who experienced the earthquake.
MODIFIED MERCALLI SCALE
This scale is used to calibrate the observations of people who experienced the earthquake.
PHIVOLCS
INTENSITY
SCALE
PHIVOLCS
INTENSITY
SCALE
SAMPLE PEIS (PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity
Scale) ASSESSMENT
An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 occurred in Luzon. People were interviewed and
observations were shared and summarized in the table below.

Calauan Windows and doors of the barangay center rattled. Prisoners

inside the precinct were awakened.
Nasugbu An ancestral house of stone suffered minor damage. The piano
inside moved by an inch.
Muntinlupa Residents at the 8th floor condominium felt the vibration.
Pedestrians were not disturbed during the shaking.

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

MODIFIED MERCALLI VS PEIS

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

MAGNITUDE
RICHTER SCALE (ML) MOMENT MAGNITUDE (MW) NUMERICAL VALUE FOR
• Calibrated based on Southern • Based on total moment release QUANTITY OF ENERGY
California earthquakes of the earthquake RELEASED DURING AN
• Also called local magnitude (ML ) • W subscript represents EARTHQUAKE
A mechanical work done
ML = log10 2
Ao COMPARISON OF SIZES
Mw = log10 M0 − 10.7
• A = peak amplitude measured from 3
seismogram • M0 = seismic moment +M1.0 corresponds to:
• A0 = peak amplitude for zero magnitude
earthquake
M0 = Af Ds • 10x stronger
• G = shear modulus of the rocks in the fault
• Af = area of fault rupture • 32x more energy
• Begins to experience magnitude • Ds = average fault displacement
saturation beyond ML 6.5
• Can measure larger earthquakes
MOMENT MAGNITUDE
Estimate the seismic moment and moment magnitude of the given earthquake
happened in year 2020. It is estimated that the blind thrust fault (the slip plane
ends before reaching the earth’s surface) caused an average strike-slip
displacement of 2.2 m over an area equal to 30.5 km long by 14.5 km deep.
Assume that the rock along the fault has an average shear rigidity of 3.5 × 1011
dyne/cm2.
2
Mw = log10 M0 − 10.7
3

M0 = Af Ds

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS AFFECT MAN-MADE STRUCTURES WHICH CAUSE
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY AND LOSS OF LIFE
• EARTHQUAKES CAN BE TECTONIC, VOLCANIC OR MAN-MADE
• TECTONIC EARTHQUAKES ARE CAUSED BY PLATE MOVEMENT IN THE
EARTH’S LITHOSPHERE
• SEISMIC WAVES PROPAGATE DIFFERENTLY BUT STILL SIGNIFICANTLY
DESTRUCTIVE
• THE UNIQUE CONVERGENCE OF GEOLOGICAL UNITS IN THE PHILIPPINES
CONTRIBUTE TO ITS ACTIVE SEISMICITY
• INTENSITY IS A QUALITATIVE MEASURE WHILE MAGNITUDE IS A
QUANTITATIVE MEASURE OF EARTHQUAKE

CE305 – PRINCIPLES OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

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