Seismic Engineering [Hardcover]

This title offers a comprehensive coverage of the many facets of seismic engineering.
The first half of the book is devoted to seismic phenomena and hazards, detailing the causes of earthquakes, the parameters used to characterize earthquakes, strong ground motions, seismic hazards and their evaluation, and seismic action. The second half discusses the effects of earthquakes and tools used to assess and reduce risk, including the effects of vibratory motions and induced phenomena, seismic calculations and technical aspects of prevention.
The importance of keeping orders of magnitude in mind (i.e. through reasoning or very simple equations) when discussing seismic phenomena and their effects is emphasized, a task which most people overlook because of their rarity and the brevity of their manifestations.

Foreword xiii

Preface xv

Part 1. Earthquakes and Induced Phenomena 1

Chapter 1. Causes of Earthquakes 5

1.1. Tectonic earthquakes 5

1.1.1. First attempts at explanation 5

1.1.2. From continental drift to plate tectonics 9

1.1.3. Seismicity of tectonic origin 20

1.2. Faults 26

1.2.1. Relationship between earthquakes and faults 27

1.2.2. Classification of faults 29

1.2.3. Focal mechanisms 38

1.2.4. Different aspects of rupture 45

1.3. Non-tectonic earthquakes 47

1.3.1. Non-tectonic quakes with natural causes 48

1.3.2. Artificial earthquakes 49

1.3.3. Induced earthquakes 50

Chapter 2. Parameters Used to Define Earthquakes 55

2.1. Elementary theory of elastic rebound 56

2.1.1. Description of tl#‘