This module provides students with an understanding of seismicity and earthquake-induced ground motions, and engineering approaches for modelling them for the purpose of geotechnical seismic design. An overview of the behaviour of geotechnical structures under dynamic loading and their interaction with seismic structural design is provided. The module also introduces nonlinear phenomena in soils due to dynamic loadings, as well as the analysis methodologies for the evaluation of site response, slope stability and design of foundations in seismic sites, as well as the assessment of the liquefaction potential. This course is intended to cover the following topics: - Introduction: theory of vibrations. - Engineering Characterization of ground motions. - Review of Soil Dynamics and Fundamental of Dynamic Soil Properties. - Ground Response Analysis and Software Applications. - Seismic Design of Shallow and Deep Foundations. - Seismic Slope Stability. - Seismic Design of Retaining Walls. - Nonlinear phenomena in soils under dynamic loadings. Densification, liquefaction and cyclic mobility.

Learning Outcomes

Understand the physical processes which cause earthquakes, the various terminologies which are used to characterize them, and the relationships describing the frequency of occurrence of earthquakes in a regional- and fault-specific context
	Understand the measurement of, and be able to process, earthquake-induced strong ground motion records, characterize strong ground motions in terms of amplitude, frequency content, and duration; and predict ground motion characteristics using empirical models
	Understand, and be able to perform a seismic hazard analysis, both deterministic and probabilistic, and determine design ground motion intensity measures
	Select and modify recorded ground motions for use in dynamic seismic response analyses
	Understand methods which can be used to simulate ground motion acceleration time series as a physics-based alternative to empirical ground-motion prediction models
	Understand the theory, and be able to perform 1-D ground response analysis
	Understand, and be able to perform, liquefaction potential assessment
	Understand the behaviour of geotechnical structures under dynamic loading and their interaction with the seismic structure