Introduction to Soil Dynamics

Soil mechanics and foundation engineering have traditionally studied the behavior of soils and foundations under static loads. Soil dynamics, on the other hand, deals with the behavior of soils and foundations under dynamic loads resulting from earthquakes, wind, heavy traffic, which generate irregular motions; from machines generating harmonic or impulsive motions; from construction activities such as pile driving, ground improvement; from explosions in mines, etc. Developments in soil dynamics intensified particularly after the 1964 Niigata Earthquake, as engineers sought to better understand the behavior of soils under such loads to create safer design methods.

This book was prepared to guide students, engineers, and colleagues who are new to soil dynamics and wish to learn about the subject. It attempts to present the behavior of soils under dynamic loads within a general framework, starting from basic concepts, and introduces topics to engineers who wish to gain more advanced knowledge.