CE 746 Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
3 Credit Hours
This course will benefit graduate students with broader research interests in the area of earthquake engineering. Its overarching goal is to understand and implement fundamental principles, assessment and design procedures related to engineering seismology and geotechnical earthquake engineering. The fundamental theoretical and computational aspects of dynamics are developed for relevant geotechnical engineering problems. This course organization allows for a comprehensive review of ground motion characteristics, dynamic response of soil sites, effect of local site conditions on design ground motion, and liquefaction of soils.
Prerequisite
Seepage, Earth Embankments and Retaining Structures (NC State CE 443) OR
An Introduction to Foundation Engineering (NC State CE 444) OR
Engineering Properties of Soils I (NC State CE 548) OR
equivalents.
Some experience with Matlab programming is preferred. Students with questions regarding prerequisites should contact the instructor.
Course Objectives
This course is designed to provide an introduction to Soil Dynamics and Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering. The fundamental theoretical and computational aspects of dynamics are developed for important geotechnical problems. The topics include: wave physics, vibrations, ground motion characterization, seismic hazard analysis, dynamic response of soil sites, and soil liquefaction. This course will also be useful for practicing Geotechnical engineers because of the review of seismic design considerations, such as the use of seismic hazard maps, design spectra and the international building code.
In this course, the students are expected to learn:
- Basics of Engineering Seismology
- Dynamics of Discrete (SDOF & MDOF) system
- Dynamics of Continuous system (Wave Propagation)
- Seismic Hazard Assessment
- Strong Ground Motion Characteristics
- Design Ground Motion at a Site
- Dynamic Response Analysis
- Effect of Local Site Conditions on Ground Shaking
- Soil Liquefaction
- Liquefaction-induced Lateral Spreading
Course Requirements
The course requirements include regular assignments, one midterm exam, one final exam, and a term project.
HOMEWORK
Homework will be assigned to help you understand the material. You are encouraged to provide neat, well though-out write-ups for the assignments. Incomplete, messy and difficult to follow solutions will be penalized.
PROJECT
The class project involves a critical review of a publication in any of the following areas: probabilistic seismic hazard assessment, seismic site response analysis, or liquefaction. A concise report as well as a short presentation will be required. Additional guidance on the format and deadlines for these submissions will be provided on the first day of class.
COURSE GRADING
The following weights will be assigned:
| Homework | 25% | ||
| Project | 10% | ||
| Midterm | 30% | ||
| Final Exam | 35% |
Textbook
Recommended reference books for this course are:
Kramer, S (1996 ). Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-374943-6.
Supplementary materials are provided in the form of handouts.
SOFTWARE
The following computer programs/packages will be used:
- MATLAB – available for free download to NC State students at: https://software.ncsu.edu/campus/matlab/
- Strata – also available to students at no charge
Updated: 10/31/2022