C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Unit 4.3: Earthquake

Resistant Structures

Prof. Sandeep N Kundu

Department of Geology
Ravenshaw University, Cuttack
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Recap
• Bridges and Types
• Supports and Foundations
• Engineering Geological Considerations
• Bridge failure causes and examples
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Baltimore Bridge Disaster

Before

The Incident – Container vessel hit one Pier

Impact After
1. 6 dead
2. Traffic in main artery disconnected
3. ~80000 people’s livelihood impacted
as they cannot travel
4. Huge insurance payouts
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Scope
• Earthquakes
• Seismic Waves
• Epicentre, Focus
• Magnitude & Intensity
• Ground Motion & Liquefaction
• Earthquake Resistant Design
• Seismic Zones
• Reinforcements
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquakes
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquakes
• When an earthquake occurs, the
elastically stored energy is carried
outward from the FOCUS to other
parts of Earth by vibrations called
seismic waves.
• The seismic waves released in the
earthquake spread out spherically in
all directions and touch the surface
first at the EPICENTRE.
• Seismic waves are elastic
disturbances, so unless the ELASTIC
LIMIT of the rock is exceeded there
will be NO permanent deformation
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquakes
• Earthquake Magnitude
• An earthquake has one
magnitude unit independent of
its location
• Magnitude of an Earthquake is
measured using a Seismometer
which produces a Seismograph
• Richter Scale and Moment
Magnitude Scale (MMS) are used
to categorize earthquakes.
• MMS can measure the Richter
magnitude(ML), Body wave
magnitude (Mb) and surface
wave magnitude (Ms)
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquakes
• Earthquake Intensity
• Earthquake Intensity measurement is
an on-the-ground description and
explains the severity of earthquake
shaking and its effects on people and
their environment.
• Intensity measurements will differ
depending on each location’s nearness
to the epicenter.
• The Modified Mercalli (MM) Intensity
Scale which is based on Giuseppe
Mercalli's Mercalli intensity scale of
1902, is used. The scale is composed
of increasing levels of intensity that
range from observable quake impacts
from light shaking to catastrophic
destruction.
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Ground Motion
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Ground Motion
• Ground motion is the movement of the Earth's surface produced by
seismic waves from earthquakes or explosions.
• Knowledge of local amplification of ground motion is very important in
order to choose the suitable design solutions.
• Local amplification can be anticipated from the presence of particular
stratigraphic conditions, such as soft soil overlapping the bedrock, or
where morphological settings may produce focalization of the seismic
event.
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Ground Motion
• In April 2015, Nepal experienced an
earthquake, 7.8 on the Richter scale, with its
focus was only 11km.
• Ground motion from the shallow focus cause
extensive damage to structures and building.
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Soil Liquefaction
• Soil liquefaction occurs when a cohesionless saturated or partially
saturated soil substantially loses strength and stiffness in response to an
applied stress such as shaking during an earthquake or other sudden
change in stress condition, in which material that is ordinarily a solid
behaves like a liquid.
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Soil Liquefaction
• In the region of Palu in Indonesia the 7.5 earthquake on September 28,
2018 caused much damage by so-called soil liquefaction. Due to the forces
of the seismic shocks, the sandy ground got liquid and started to flow in a
direction washing away trees and houses. More than 800 were killed.
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquake Resistant Design

• Seismic Zonation
• Seismic zonation is a process of
estimation of the seismic
hazard in terms of parameters
of ground motion for a certain
area
• Two general approaches to
seismic zoning
• The historical records of
earthquake occurrences
(“Historic methods”)
• The geodynamical
interpretations of the seismicity
and earthquake source zones
(“Deductive methods”).
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquake Resistant Design

• Seismic Zonation
• Zone V (very severe intensity zone)
• Parts of Jammu and Kashmir (Kashmir valley); Western part of
Himachal Pradesh; Eastern part of Uttarakhand, Kutch in Gujarat;
part of Northern Bihar; all northeastern states of India and the
Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• Zone IV (severe intensity zone):
• Ladakh; Remaining parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh
and Uttarakhand; Some parts of Haryana, Parts of Punjab; Delhi;
Sikkim; the northern part of Uttar Pradesh; small portions of
Bihar and West Bengal; parts of Gujarat and small portions of
Maharashtra near the west coast and small part of western
Rajasthan.
• Zone III (moderate intensity zone):
• Kerala; Goa; Lakshadweep islands; parts of Uttar Pradesh and
Haryana; remaining parts of Gujarat and Punjab; parts of West
Bengal, western Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh; remaining part of
Bihar; northern parts of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh; parts of
Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu
and Karnataka.
• Zone II (low intensity zone):
• Remaining parts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquake Resistant Design

• Region-wise Major Earthquakes
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Earthquake Resistant Design

• Seismic Design Codes
• Ground vibrations during earthquakes cause forces and
deformations in structures.
• Structures need to be designed to withstand such
forces and deformations.
• Seismic codes help to improve the behavior of
structures so that they may withstand the earthquake
effects without significant loss of life and property.
• Countries around the world have procedures outlined
in seismic codes to help design engineers in the
planning, designing, detailing and constructing of
structures.
• India too has its own Seismic Design Codes
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquake Resistant Design

• 4 Virtues of Seismic Design Codes
• Virtue-1: Structural Configuration
• The size, shape and structural system carrying loads are such
that they ensure a direct and smooth flow of inertia to the
ground
• Regular building shapes are more desirable than irregular ones
that may introduce complexities to the load transfer path.
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquake Resistant Design

• Seismic Design Codes – 4
virtues
• Virtue-2: Lateral Strength
• The ability of the structure to
withstand maximum lateral
or horizontal force without
experiencing irreparable
damages.
• Buildings can be designed to
have certain lateral strength
by appropriately
proportioning the size and
material of the members.
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquake Resistant Design

• Seismic Design Codes – 4 virtues
• Virtue-3: Adequate Stiffness
• It is the lateral load resisting system of the building such that
the earthquake-induced deformations in it does not damage its
contents under low-to moderate shaking.
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquake Resistant Design

• Seismic Design Codes – 4 virtues
• Virtue-4: Good Ductility
• It is the capacity of the building to undergo large
deformations under severe earthquake shaking even after
yielding, thereby providing enough time for occupants to
evacuate in case of a failure.
• Ductility is improved by favorable design and detailing
strategies.
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquake Resistant Design

• Indian Seismic Codes
• IS 1893 (Part I), 2002, Indian Standard Criteria for Earthquake
Resistant Design of Structures (5th Revision)
• IS 4326, 1993, Indian Standard Code of Practice for
Earthquake Resistant Design and Construction of Buildings
(2nd Revision)
• IS 13827, 1993, Indian Standard Guidelines for Improving
Earthquake Resistance of Earthen Buildings
• IS 13828, 1993, Indian Standard Guidelines for Improving
Earthquake Resistance of Low Strength Masonry Buildings
• IS 13920, 1993, Indian Standard Code of Practice for ductile
Detailing of Reinforced Concrete Structures Subjected to
Seismic Forces
• IS 13935, 1993, Indian Standard Guidelines for Repair and
Seismic Strengthening of Buildings

https://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/EQTips/EQTip11.pdf
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquake Resistant Design

• Design Tips
• Building plan must have a
regular shape. E.g. Square or
rectangle
• No wall should exceed 6m in
height. Pilasters or cross walls
for longer walls. In hilly terrain it
must not exceed 3.5m
• Height of each storey must be
Pilaster Wall
below 3.2 m
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquake Resistant Design

• Design Tips
• Bricks of crushing strength less
than 35kg/sq cm must not be
used for single storey and
50kg/sq cm for 2-3 storey
buildings
• Provide a Reinforced Concrete
cement (RCC) band of 4 inch
thickness throughout the run
along the wall at lintel level over
doors and windows
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Earthquake Resistant Design

• Design Tips
• Thickness of load bearing wall must be more than
200mm
• The clear width between a door and nearest window
should not be less than 600mm
• Location of a door and window from edge of a wall shall
be minimum of 600mm
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Summary
• Earthquake resistant construction is important in
earthquake prone area
• The design must resist earthquakes with almost no
damage
• The building must not collapse or harm human lives
during severe earthquake motions
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Important Links
• https://nidm.gov.in/safety_earthquake.asp
• Simplified guideline for all new buildings of seismic zone III of India
• Simplified guideline for all new buildings of seismic zone IV of India
• Simplified guideline for all new buildings of seismic zone V of India
C-13 Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Next lecture
• Soil – Classification, Erosion and Conservation