Earthquake hazard

This chapter covers the following topics.

The chapter is intended to give structural engineers unfamiliar with engineering seismology sufficient background on ground motion issues to inform their structural designs, and to give references to further sources of information.

The potential for a large earthquake to damage buildings and other structures comes in the first instance from the violent shaking of the ground. This gives rise to inertia forces, which are the primary source of potential damage that earthquake engineers must deal with, and which are the main concern of this book.

However, inertia effects in structures are not the only source of seismic hazard affecting structures, and the other main hazards associated with earthquakes are now briefly discussed.