Abstract:This chapter serves as an introduction to the large and complex field of geotechnical earthquake engineering. An earthquake originates at some depth below the ground surface; this point is called the ...This chapter serves as an introduction to the large and complex field of geotechnical earthquake engineering. An earthquake originates at some depth below the ground surface; this point is called the hypocenter. The size of an earthquake can be quantified in several ways. The first and oldest way is the earthquake intensity, which is a qualitative description of the effect of the earthquake. The Richter scale is the best-known of the magnitude scales. During an earthquake, the rock fault shears and sends shear waves and compression waves through to the ground surface. This shaking of the rock and soil mass can be recorded using instruments sensitive to motion. The design approach often considers two levels of earthquakes: a rare earthquake and an expected earthquake. During an earthquake, a foundation and the soil around it will interact. Two kinds of interactions are identified: kinematic and inertial.Read More