2024 Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Architecture and Building Engineering Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
Introduction on Theory of Earthquake Ground Motion
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
- Instructor(s)
- Hiroaki Yamanaka
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Tue
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- UDE.S433
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Building damages are often due to shaking during the earthquakes. Ground shaking is surface motion due to seismic wave propagation in the Earth. Basic theoretical knowledge is required in understanding ground shaking. Furthermore, seismic wave theory is also used in soil investigation at a construction site of a building. In this course, basic theory on seismic wave is explained to understand earthquake ground shaking.
The main purpose of this course is to understand basic knowledge on seismic wave theory for seismic design, earthquake hazard estimation, and site investigation.
Course description and aims
Building damages are often due to shaking during the earthquakes. Ground shaking is surface motion due to seismic wave propagation in the Earth. Basic theoretical knowledge is required in understanding ground shaking. Furthermore, seismic wave theory is also used in soil investigation at a construction site of a building. In this course, basic theory on seismic wave is explained to understand earthquake ground shaking.
The main purpose of this course is to understand basic knowledge on seismic wave theory for seismic design, earthquake hazard estimation, and site investigation.
Keywords
earthquake, ground motion, earthquake disaster, seismic design, wave theory
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Students learn one topic per class through explanation related with actual ground motion prediction
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Guidance of lecture What is seismic waves? | Explain types of seismic waves with their differences |
| Class 2 | Equation of motion in elastic body | Derive equation of motion for wave propagation |
| Class 3 | wave equation and its solution | Explain wave equation |
| Class 4 | reflection and transmission of plane wave | Understand behavior of plane wave at layer boundary |
| Class 5 | Surface wave propagation | Explain basic features of surface wave propagation |
| Class 6 | Surface wave dispersion | Understand relation between dispersion and soil profile |
| Class 7 | Propagation of refraction wave and its travel time | Understand behavior of refracted waves and travel times |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Lecture material is given during lecture
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Modern global seismology
Evaluation methods and criteria
submission of report on a given subject
Related courses
- Application of Theory of Earthquake Ground Motion in Earthquake Engineering
Prerequisites
None
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
yamanaka[at]depe.titech.ac.jp, Phone 5513
Office hours
Contact by e-mail in advance to schedule an appointment.