Performance based seismic design (PBSD) is a cogent design approach that allows engineers to design structures with a predictable seismic performance for a specified level of hazard. In contrast to the conventional limit state or strength and serviceability based design in which a structure is designed to withstand severe load combinations and be functional under normal load conditions, PBSD go...

Seismic anisotropy is an efficient way to investigate the deformation field within the upper mantle. In the framework of rigid tectonic plates, we make use of recent tomographic models of azimuthal anisotropy for deriving the best rotation pole of the Pacific plate in the uppermost 200km of the mantle. It is found to be in good agreement with current plate motion (NUVEL1, HS3 and NNR). However,...

This paper reports on the damage of Wushi bridge in a recent Taiwan 921 earthquake. Damage to Wushi bridge appeared in the superstructure, the substructure and the approaches. Typical types of damage are discussed and illustrated in this paper. A review of the bridge design specifications in Taiwan is also presented to give the background on the seismic design of Taiwan highway bridges.

Pletser et al. performed a seismic-refraction survey on Devon Island with the goal of assessing the feasibility of astronauts carrying out such operations on Mars to detect subsurface water. We demonstrate that the seismic analysis is fundamentally flawed. The survey performed in this test will likely bear little resemblance to future crewed geophysical surface operations, and better methods ex...

The period of vibration is a fundamental parameter in the force-based design of structures as this parameter defines the spectral acceleration and thus the base shear force to which the building should be designed. This paper takes a critical look at the way in which seismic design codes around the world have allowed the designer to estimate the period of vibration for use in both linear static...

We review the "critical point" concept for large earthquakes and enlarge it in the framework of so-called "finite-time singularities." The singular behavior associated with accelerated seismic release is shown to result from a positive feedback of the seismic activity on its release rate. The most important mechanisms for such positive feedback are presented. We solve analytically a simple mode...

S U M M A R Y Theoretical studies on ambient seismic noise (ASN) predict that complete Green’s function between seismic stations can be retrieved from cross correlation. However, only fundamental mode surface waves emerge in most studies involving real data. Here we show that Mohoreflected body wave (SmS) and its multiples can be identified with ASN for station pairs near their critical distanc...

During the passage of the seismic waves from the M7.3 Kumamoto, Kyushu, earthquake on April 16, 2016, a M5.7 [semiofficial value estimated by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)] event occurred in the central part of Oita prefecture, approximately 80 km far away from the mainshock. Although there have been a number of reports that M < 5 earthquakes were remotely triggered during the passage o...

Micro-earthquake activity is reported for the first 6 months of 2011 in Long Beach, CA using a density urban exploration seismic network. Detected events include at least four times as many man-made events as possible real earthquakes indicated by repeated locations, and distinct patterns in the hour-of-day and day-of-week origin times. Some discrimination appears possible utilized the earthqua...

The use of different probability distributions as described by the Exponential, Pareto, Lognormal, Rayleigh, and Gama probability functions applied to estimation the time of the next great earthquake (Ms≥6.0) in different seismotectonic provinces of Iran. This prediction is based on the information about past earthquake occurrences in the given region and the basic assumption that future seismi...