Fundamentals of Seismic Loading on Structures




Preface

Since ancient times, earthquakes have taken a heavy toll on human life and property, made

worse on a psychological level by the unexpected nature of the event. Mitigation of the

damage caused by earthquakes is a prime requirement in many parts of the world today.

As part of the design process, assessment of seismic loading is of fundamental importance

and is the key step before any building design activity can be undertaken. Generally this also

requires the assessment of an appropriate structural loading.

Much effort has been devoted in the last fifty years towards understanding the causes of

earthquakes and defining the loading on buildings associated with such events. Great advances

have been made in the field of plate tectonics followed by developments in geotechnical

engineering and soil mechanics. Though much remains to be followed up and quantified,

understanding in these areas has reached a stage where the findings and procedures may

now be integrated into a rational determination of ‘earthquake loadings’ for the design of

structures.


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