1.

Earthquake Engineering
-study of the behavior of building and structures subject to seismic loading.

-“Earthquake Engineering deals with the effects of earthquakes on people and their
environment and with methods of reducing those effects. It is a very broad field, drawing
on aspects of geology, seismology, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, risk
engineering, and other technical fields. Its practice requires consideration of social,
economic, and political.

2. Cause of Earthquakes

Plate Tectonic Theory

The outer layer of the earth is divided into many sections known as plates, which are
floating on the molten magma beneath the earth’s crust. Now the movement of these
plates is determined by the convection current in the molten magma. The heat makes
these plates rise and vice versa. Therefore after intervals there are plates that get
submerged in the molten magma and there plates that rise upwards and at times even new
crust is formed from the molten magma which in turn forms a new plate until it connects
itself with the already existing ones. At times these plates and can be pushed up to form
mountains and hills and the movement is so slow that it is really hard to comprehend that
there is any movement at all. The movement and the results come out to be visible
suddenly. Now these plates are the bases on which the continents stand and when these
plates move the continents also move. Most of the earthquakes occur on the edges of the
plates where a plate is under one or across. This movement disrupts the balance and
position of all plates, which leads to tremors, which are called earthquakes.

Volcanic Eruptions

When volcanoes erupt it is because the molten magma under the crust of the earth is
under enormous pressure and to release that pressure it looks for an opening and exerts
pressure on the earth’s crust and the plate in turn. A place, which is the seat of an active
volcano, is often prone to earthquakes as well because the pressure that is exerted by the
magma exceeds the limit these plates move and that causes earthquakes. Earthquakes are
also caused after a volcanic eruption since the eruption also leads to a disturbance in the
position of plates, which either move further or resettle and can result into severe or light
tremors.

3. Magnitude / Intensity Comparison

Magnitude and Intensity measure different characteristics of earthquakes. Magnitude

measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake. Magnitude is determined
from measurements on seismographs. Intensity measures the strength of shaking
produced by the earthquake at a certain location. Intensity is determined from effects on
people, human structures, and the natural environment.

4. Types of Damage
Building Collapse

People can be trapped in collapsed buildings or under rubble that collapses into the street.
This is the type of damage that leads to the worst casualties. The worst thing to do in a
quake is to rush out into the street during the quake. The danger from being hit by falling
glass and debris is many times greater in front of the building than inside. In the 1989
Loma Prieta quake the streets of San Francisco's financial district were covered by
broken glass and people were buried under the facade of a brick building that fell forward
into the street. Likewise in the 1964 Alaska quake, a huge concrete facade fell off of a
department store onto pedestrians passing by.

Buildings knocked off their foundation

Buildings that can otherwise withstand the quake can be knocked off their foundations
and severely damaged. This type of damage can be largely prevented by bolting the
frame securely to the foundation, so it will remain in place.

Landslides

Buildings can be damaged when the ground gives way beneath them. This can be in the
form of a landslide down a hill, or liquifaction of soils that can cause severe settling of
the ground. Ground movement can change the whole landscape, as in the New Madrid
Quake that changed the course of the Mississippi River. A landslide into a lake or
resevior can cause flooding downstream. This kind of damage is not unique to
earthquakes, but can be triggered by a quake.

Fire

Fires often break out following earthquakes. They can be caused by flammable materials
being thrown into a cooking or heating fire or broken gas lines. Fires can easily get out of
control since the earthquake may have broken water mains or blocked roads firefighters
need to use. There are many demands made on the emergency response systems that slow
down response to fires. In the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake , for example, the fire that
followed the quake caused more damage than the earthquake itself.

Tsunami

Underwater earthquakes, volcanoes, or landslides can produce a tsunami or tidal wave.

This wave can travel very rapidly thousands of miles across the ocean. In deep water the
tsunami may only raise the ocean level by a few inches, hardly enough to notice. But as it
approaches land, the shallower water causes the wave to build in height to as much as 50
feet or more and suddenly flood coastal areas. Tsunamis carry a lot of energy and when
they hit the coast strong currents can cause massive erosion of the coastline as well as
tearing apart buildings it encounters.
5. Prevent the Damage Caused by an Earthquake
1. proper building construction
2. building codes need to be strict in earthquake prone areas
3. location of buildings and needs to be controlled
4. controlling the timing of the earthquake