SEISMIC DESIGN OF HIGH RISE

BUILDINGS
Lesson 2:
Earthquake Waves and Their Effects on
Structures
MTYANA, H.J
PhD. Structural Engineering - on progress

Ass. Lecturer
Dept. of Structural and Construction Engineering
College of Engineering and Technology
University of Dar es salaam, Tanzania
Email: hjmtyana@gmail.com
Cell Phone: +255 (0) 655 004212
 Topics to be covered
2.1 Types of Earthquakes and their
Causes

2.2 Types of Earthquake Waves and

their Behavior

2.3 Classification of Earthquakes

2.4 Seismic Zones in Tanzania

 2.1 Types of Earthquakes and their Causes

General
 An earthquake is a violet or oscillation
of the earth’s surface caused by
sudden movement of rocks beneath
its surface (Mtyana, 2012).
 From Wikipedia, an earthquake (also
known as quake, tremor or temblor) is
the perceptible shaking of the surface
of earth, resulting from the sudden
release of energy in the earth’s crust.
 Earthquake Vocabulary

By looking at this picture, try to come up with a definition

of “epicenter” and “focus”
• Focus — Location of EQ inside Earth

• Epicenter — Location directly above focus on Earth’s

surface
 How do we feel earthquakes?
If earthquakes start at the focus deep inside earth,
how do we feel it on the surface?
Why do earthquakes occur?

 Earth movements
 Fractures, faults
 Energy released and propagates
in all directions as seismic waves
causing earthquakes

epicenter
focus
 How Earthquakes Travel
• Seismic waves — vibrations that travel through
Earth caused by EQs
2.1 Types of Earthquakes and their Causes

Tectonic earthquakes

Volcanic earthquakes

Collapse earthquakes

Explosion earthquakes
 2.1 Types of Earthquakes and their Causes
Tectonic earthquakes
These occur when rocks in the earth’s crust break due to geological forces created
by the movement of tectonic plates.
 2.1 Types of Earthquakes and their Causes

Volcanic earthquakes
Occur in conjunction with volcanic eruptions.
They are caused by sudden violet displacement of lava within or beneath the
conduit of volcano.
 2.1 Types of Earthquakes and their Causes

Collapse earthquakes
Are small earthquakes in underground caverns and mines.

Explosion earthquakes
Result from the explosion of nuclear and chemical devices.
2.2 Types of Earthquake Waves and their Behavior
 Body Waves and their Behavior
Compression Wave (P-Wave) Animation
1. P-waves (Primary waves)
• Fastest of the three
waves and the first
detected by
seismographs.
• Can travel through Earth’s interior
in less than an hour
• Pass through solids & liquids
• As they pass through the liquid of the Deformation propagates.
outer core they change directions Particle motion consists of alternating compression and
• As they return to Earth’s dilation.
Particle motion is parallel to the direction of propagation
surface they cause back-and-
(longitudinal).
forth motions of rock
Material returns to its original shape after wave passes.
 Shear Wave (S-Wave) Animation
2. S-waves (Secondary waves)
• Travel slightly slower than P waves
• When they reach Earth’s surface
they cause it to move up and down
• They can travel ONLY through solids
• When they pass through the mantle
to the liquid core they lose their
energy and do not return to the
surface Deformation propagates. Particle motion consists of alternating transverse
motion. Particle motion is perpendicular to the direction of propagation
(transverse). Transverse particle motion shown here is vertical but can be in
any direction. However, Earth’s layers tend to cause mostly vertical (SV; in the
vertical plane) or horizontal (SH) shear motions. Material returns to its original
shape after wave passes.
Why can't S-waves travel through liquids?

S-waves are shear waves, which move particles

perpendicular to their direction of propagation.

They can propagate through solid rocks because

these rocks have enough shear strength.

... This is why S-waves cannot propagate through

liquids (liquids do not have shear strength)
Note:
The shear strength is one of the forces that hold the rock
together, preventing it from falling into pieces.
Liquids lack shear strength.

This is the reason why, if you take a glass of water and

suddenly remove the glass, the water will not keep its
shape.

In fact, it is just a matter of rigidity:

S-waves need a medium that is rigid enough for them to

propagate.

This is why S-waves cannot propagate through liquids.

 Surface Waves and their Behavior

1. Love waves – that move Love Wave (L-Wave) Animation

like S waves but only
horizontally.
Deformation propagates.
Particle motion consists of alternating
transverse motions.
Particle motion is horizontal and
perpendicular to the direction of
propagation (transverse).
To aid in seeing that the particle motion is
purely horizontal, focus on the Y axis (red
line) as the wave propagates through it.
Amplitude decreases with depth. Material
returns to its original shape after wave
passes.
 Surface Waves and their Behavior
2. Rayleigh waves– that move both Rayleigh Wave (R-Wave) Animation
horizontally and vertically in a
vertical plane pointed in the
direction of travel

Deformation propagates.
Particle motion consists of elliptical
motions (generally retrograde
elliptical) in the vertical plane and
parallel to the direction of
propagation.
Amplitude decreases with depth.
Material returns to its original shape
after wave passes.
Seismic Waves-summary

http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/EarthSC202Notes/quakes.htm
 Characteristics of Seismic Waves
Type (and names) Particle Motion
P,Compressional, Alternating compressions
Primary, Longitudinal (“pushes”) and dilations
(“pulls”) which are directed in
the same direction as the wave is
propagating (along the raypath);
and therefore, perpendicular to
the wavefront
S, Shear, Secondary, Alternating transverse motions
Transverse (perpendicular to the direction of
propagation, and the raypath);
commonly polarized such that
particle motion is in vertical or
horizontal planes
Typical Velocity Other Characteristics
VP ~ 5 – 7 km/s in typical P motion travels fastest in materials, so the P-
Earth’s crust; wave is the first-arriving energy on a
>~ 8 km/s in Earth’s seismogram. Generally smaller and higher
mantle and core; 1.5 km/s frequency than the S and Surface-waves. P
in water; 0.3 km/s in air waves in a liquid or gas are pressure waves,
including sound waves.
VS ~ 3 – 4 km/s in typical S-waves do not travel through fluids, so do not
Earth’s crust; exist in Earth’s outer core (inferred to be
>~ 4.5 km/s in Earth’s primarily liquid iron) or in air or water or molten
mantle; ~ 2.5-3.0 km/s in rock (magma). S waves travel slower than P
(solid) inner core waves in a solid and, therefore, arrive after the P
wave.
 Characteristics of Seismic Waves
Type (and names) Particle Motion
L, Love, Surface Transverse horizontal motion,
waves, Long waves perpendicular to the direction of
propagation and generally
parallel to the Earth’s surface
R, Rayleigh, Surface Motion is both in the direction of
waves, Long waves, propagation and perpendicular
Ground roll (in a vertical plane),
and “phased” so that the motion
is generally elliptical – either
prograde or retrograde
Typical Velocity Other Characteristics
VL ~ 2.0 - 4.5 km/s in the Love waves exist because of the Earth’s
Earth depending on surface. They are largest at the surface and
frequency of the decrease in amplitude with depth. Love waves
propagating wave are dispersive, that is, the wave velocity is
dependent on frequency, with low frequencies
normally propagating at higher velocity. Depth
of penetration of the Love waves is also
dependent on frequency, with lower frequencies
penetrating to greater depth.
VR ~ 2.0 - 4.5 km/s in the Rayleigh waves are also dispersive and the
Earth depending on amplitudes generally decrease with depth in the
frequency of the Earth. Appearance and particle motion are
propagating wave similar to water waves.
 Which seismic waves are more dangerous???
Although they're slower than either P-waves or S-waves, Love
waves they have large amplitudes, and that full amplitude is
focused on the surface of the earth.

This is why they cause more damage. Love waves are the most
dangerous of all kinds of seismic waves. They are faster than
Rayleigh waves and even larger in amplitude.

Love waves are the most destructive waves in earthquakes

because of their high amplitude and transverse particle motion.
 EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE
• Landsides

• Building damage

• Liquefaction
Soil liquification

Soil liquefaction occurs when a saturated or

partially saturated soil substantially loses strength
and stiffness in response to an applied stress
such as shaking during an earthquake or other
sudden change in stress condition, in which
material that is ordinarily a solid behaves like a
liquid
Effects of Earthquakes on Structures
 EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE Turkey - August 17, 1999

Building damage

Bukoba -Tanzania, 2016

Haiti, 2010

Taiwan - February 7, 2018

 2.3 Classification of Earthquakes

Earthquake size: two ways to measure

1) Magnitude: Richter Scale

• Measures the energy released by fault movement related to the
maximum amplitude of the S wave measured from the
seismogram
• Logarithmic-scale; quantitative measure
• For each whole number there is a 31.5 times increase in energy
eg. an increase from 5 to 7 on the Richter scale = an increase in
energy of 992 times!!
 Earthquake Intensity
measures damage to man-made structures at certain location

Modified Mercalli scale =measurement of damage to structures

• From I to XII
(Roman numerals)

Descriptive, changes with distance from epicenter

• Can change from location to location

What you need:

• Your senses!
 Frequency of Occurrence of Earthquakes
Descriptor Magnitude Average Annually
Great 8 and higher 1¹
Major 7 - 7.9 17 ²
Strong 6 - 6.9 134 ²
Moderate 5 - 5.9 1319 ²
13,000
Light 4 - 4.9
(estimated)
130,000
Minor 3 - 3.9
(estimated)
1,300,000
Very Minor 2 - 2.9
(estimated)
¹ Based on observations since 1900.
² Based on observations since 1990.
2) Intensity: Mercalli Scale:

What did you feel?

Assigns an intensity or rating to measure an earthquake at a
particular location (qualitative)
I (not felt) to XII (buildings nearly destroyed)
Measures the destructive effect

 Intensity is a function of:

Energy released by fault
Geology of the location
Surface substrate: can magnify shock waves e.g. Mexico
City (1985) and San Francisco (1989)
 2.4 Seismic Zones in Tanzania
(Measured in Richter Scale)

Notable records:

7th July, 2005 Lake Tanganyika ……….. 6.8

9th June, 2007 Dodoma ………………….. 4.9
Source: GAPS Guidelines, 2015