Course info

This post-graduate course has the following themes:

1. Introduction to Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering. Basic elements of engineering seismology, with emphasis on strong ground motion.

2. Single degree of freedom structural vibration with base excitation, elastic response spectra.

3. Seismic wave (P, S, Rayleigh, Love) propagation in homogeneous and inhomogeneous soil.

4. Seismic design of underground tunnels and pipelines against seismic waves and permanent ground displacements.

5. Soil amplification (or de-amplification) of seismic ground motion with analytical and numerical methods. Practice with dedicated software.

6. Seismic design of retaining walls with the Mononobe-Okabe method (pseudo-static design) and with Richards-Elms (allowable displacements),

7. Topography effects and seismic design of soil and rock slopes.

8. Liquefaction, with emphasis on assessment methods and on its effects on Civil Engineering works. Description of ground improvement methods and methods for mitigating the effects of liquefaction.