Seismology to Earthquake Engineering

Instructors: Jean François Semblat

Access provided by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company

7,283 already enrolled

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

39 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

39 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

How seismic waves propagate
How earthquakes are generated
How structures withstand seismic shaking

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

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Assessments

10 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 6 modules in this course

This course ranges from the earth structure, the generation of earthquakes and seismic waves by faults to the seismic response of soils, foundations and structures as well as seismic risk. It is consequently aimed at undergraduates, graduates and professionals interested in engineering seismology, earthquake engineering or seismic risk. It investigates various technical fields: rock mechanics, soil dynamics, structural dynamics and dynamic soil-structure interaction.

Various types of sessions are proposed: regular sessions describing a phenomenon or explaining its basic principles, lab sessions illustrating concepts through simple experiments (fault motion, liquefaction, resonant column tests, shaking table tests) and research topics focusing on advanced topics from various research fields (e.g. magnet-Earth, seismicity of Mars, seismic sensors, probabilistic approaches). Several quizzes, as well as 3 mini-projects, will allow you to check your knowledge and assess your understanding of the various topics.

What's included

1 video

The first week allows to discover the Earth structure, the plate tectonics, the behaviour of faults in the crust and the radiation of seismic waves. The seismicity of the Earth is studied and that of Mars is shown as well! The control of faults and the magnetic properties of the Earth are finally explained.

What's included

11 videos2 assignments

11 videos Total 89 minutes

1.1 Introduction to seismology and earthquake engineering 4 minutes
1.2 Exploring the Earth 8 minutes
1.3 Fundamentals of tectonics 8 minutes
1.4 Fault mechanics 8 minutes
1.5 Fault radiation 8 minutes
1.6 Seismicity 9 minutes
1.7 Rock behaviour in the lab 8 minutes
1.8 Controlling seismic faults 9 minutes
1.9 Earth is a huge magnet (part 1) 10 minutes
1.9 Earth is a huge magnet (part2) 8 minutes
1.10 Exploring Mars structure 10 minutes

2 assignments Total 60 minutes

Quiz 1A 30 minutes
Quiz 1B 30 minutes

Various types of seismic waves are presented through both actual observations and theoretical interpretation. Their propagation and amplification in heterogeneous geological structures are discussed (soil layers, alluvial basins). The application to site characterization is finally proposed.

What's included

8 videos2 assignments

8 videos Total 74 minutes

2.1 Observation of seismic ground motion 8 minutes
2.2 Propagation of seismic waves 9 minutes
2.3 Seismic site effects 8 minutes
2.4 Seismic wave amplification (1D) 11 minutes
2.5 Seismic wave amplification (2D/3D) 10 minutes
2.6 Soil and site characterization 9 minutes
2.7 Measuring and observing earthquakes 12 minutes
2.8 What about marsquakes? 7 minutes

2 assignments Total 120 minutes

Quiz 2 30 minutes
Mini-project 2 90 minutes

The seismic soil response is analyzed first. The simplified soil response is then converted into a so-called response spectrum for sake of seismic design. The seismic response of structures is discussed through eigenmodes, modal superposition and modal recombination. Seismic isolation and in situ dynamic characterization of structures is also presented.

What's included

10 videos3 assignments

10 videos Total 94 minutes

3.1 Soil linear behaviour 10 minutes
3.2 Soil nonlinear behaviour 9 minutes
3.3 Seismic soil response 10 minutes
3.4 Simplified analysis of soil response 10 minutes
3.5 Application of the response spectrum 8 minutes
3.6 Eigenmodes and modal superposition 10 minutes
3.7 Recombining eigenmodes and directions 8 minutes
3.8 Resisting seismic motion by isolation 9 minutes
3.9 In situ characterization of complex structures 10 minutes
3.10 Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment 11 minutes

3 assignments Total 150 minutes

Quiz 3A 30 minutes
Quiz 3B 30 minutes
Mini-project 3 90 minutes

Dynamic Soil-Structure Interaction and Soil-Foundation-Structure Interaction are presented first. Typical nonlinear behaviours of structures are then analyzed. The seismic response of structures is finally discussed through simplified (e.g. push-over) and time history nonlinear analyses.

What's included

8 videos2 assignments

8 videos Total 77 minutes

4.1 Dynamic soil-structure interaction 8 minutes
4.2 Soil-Foundation-Structure interaction 9 minutes
4.3 Dynamic soil behaviour in the lab 14 minutes
4.4 Typical nonlinear material behaviors 11 minutes
4.5 Behaviour and failure of structures 8 minutes
4.6 Nonlinear behavior of structures 6 minutes
4.7 Pushover analysis and capacity design 9 minutes
4.8 Time-history analysis of discrete systems 12 minutes

2 assignments Total 120 minutes

Quiz 4 30 minutes
Mini-project 4 90 minutes

Vulnerability and damage assessment are introduced first. They are illustrated for masonry structures in the field and concrete structures on shaking tables. The effect of uncertainties is then discussed in order to derive fragility curves. Finally catastrophe and loss models are explained.