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Geosciences
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Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Geohazard Prevention
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Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Geohazard Prevention

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Hazards".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 6566

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Florin Pavel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Reinforced Concrete Structures, Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, 020396 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: risk and fragility analysis; earthquake; seismology; seismics; earthquake seismology; earthquake engineering; civil engineering; seismotectonics; engineering seismology; earthquake prediction; tectonics; applied geophysics; active tectonics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Alexandru Aldea

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Reinforced Concrete Structures, Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, 020396 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: seismic hazard; soil conditions; seismic risk; earthquake engineering; wind engineering; seismology
Dr. Cristian Arion

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Reinforced Concrete Structures, Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, 020396 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: seismic hazard; seismic risk; earthquake engineering; soil conditions; strucutral vulnerability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, entitled “Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Geohazard Prevention”, focuses on the critical intersection between geotechnical earthquake engineering practices and the prevention of geohazards. Geohazards, such as landslides, earthquakes, and soil liquefaction, pose significant threats to infrastructure and human lives, making their examination, prevention, and mitigation crucial. Moreover, the context of global warming brings new challenges in the assessment of geohazards.

This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest advancements, research findings, and innovative approaches in geotechnical earthquake engineering that contribute to effective geohazard prevention strategies. It seeks to provide a platform through which researchers, engineers, and practitioners can share their expertise, case studies, and practical solutions aspiring to address geotechnical challenges and minimize the impact of geohazards.

The articles featured in this Special Issue cover a wide range of topics including, but not limited to:

  • geotechnical site investigation techniques;
  • slope stability analysis and monitoring;
  • case studies in geotechnical earthquake engineering;
  • ground improvement methods;
  • soil liquefaction;
  • seismic design aspects;
  • geotechnical risk assessment.

The interdisciplinary nature of this Special Issue encourages collaboration between various fields such as civil engineering, geology, seismology, and geophysics.

By disseminating cutting-edge research and best practices in geotechnical engineering and geohazard prevention, this Special Issue aims to contribute to the development of robust infrastructure systems that can withstand and mitigate the adverse effects of geohazards, and to serve as a valuable resource for academics, professionals, and policymakers involved in geotechnical engineering and disaster risk management.

Dr. Florin Pavel
Prof. Dr. Alexandru Aldea
Dr. Cristian Arion
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Geosciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • geotechnical earthquake engineering
  • geohazard prevention
  • landslides
  • earthquakes
  • soil liquefaction
  • soil investigation
  • risk assessment
  • design codes

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 11340 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation of Embedment Depth Effects on the Rocking Behavior of Foundations
by Mohamadali Moradi, Ali Khezri, Seyed Majdeddin Mir Mohammad Hosseini, Hongbae Park and Daeyong Lee
Geosciences 2024, 14(12), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences14120351 - 18 Dec 2024
Viewed by 873
Abstract
Shallow foundations supporting high-rise structures are often subjected to extreme lateral loading from wind and seismic activities. Nonlinear soil–foundation system behaviors, such as foundation uplift or bearing capacity mobilization (i.e., rocking behavior), can act as energy dissipation mechanisms, potentially reducing structural demands. However, [...] Read more.
Shallow foundations supporting high-rise structures are often subjected to extreme lateral loading from wind and seismic activities. Nonlinear soil–foundation system behaviors, such as foundation uplift or bearing capacity mobilization (i.e., rocking behavior), can act as energy dissipation mechanisms, potentially reducing structural demands. However, such merits may be achieved at the expense of large residual deformations and settlements, which are influenced by various factors. One key factor which is highly influential on soil deformation mechanisms during rocking is the foundation embedment depth. This aspect of rocking foundations is investigated in this study under varying subgrade densities and initial vertical factors of safety (FSv), using the PIV technique and appropriate instrumentation. A series of reduced-scale slow cyclic tests were performed using a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) structure model. This study first examines the deformation mechanisms of strip foundations with depth-to-width (D/B) ratios of 0, 0.25, and 1, and then explores the effects of embedment depth on the performance of square foundations, evaluating moment capacity, settlement, recentering capability, rotational stiffness, and damping characteristics. The results demonstrate that the predominant deformation mechanism of the soil mass transitions from a wedge mechanism in surface foundations to a scoop mechanism in embedded foundations. Increasing the embedment depth enhances recentering capabilities, reduces damping, decreases settlement, increases rotational stiffness, and improves the moment capacity of the foundations. This comprehensive exploration of foundation performance and soil deformation mechanisms, considering varying embedment depths, FSv values, and soil relative densities, offers insights for optimizing the performance of rocking foundations under lateral loading conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Geohazard Prevention)
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22 pages, 4068 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Liquefaction Potential at the Base of the San Marcos Dam (Cayambe, Ecuador)—A Validation in the Use of the Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio
by Olegario Alonso-Pandavenes, Francisco Javier Torrijo and Gabriela Torres
Geosciences 2024, 14(11), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences14110306 - 13 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1131
Abstract
Ground liquefaction potential analysis is a fundamental characterization in areas with continuous seismic activity, such as Ecuador. Geotechnical liquefaction studies are usually approached from dynamic penetration tests, which pose problems both in their correct execution and in their evaluation. Our research involves analyzing [...] Read more.
Ground liquefaction potential analysis is a fundamental characterization in areas with continuous seismic activity, such as Ecuador. Geotechnical liquefaction studies are usually approached from dynamic penetration tests, which pose problems both in their correct execution and in their evaluation. Our research involves analyzing dynamic penetration tests and microtremor geophysical surveys (horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio technique, HVSR) for analyzing the liquefaction potential at the base of the San Marcos dam, a reservoir located in Cayambe canton (Ecuador). Based on the investigations performed at the time of construction of the dam (drilling and geophysical refraction profiles) and the application of 20 microtremor observation stations via the HVSR technique, an analysis of the safety factor of liquefaction (SFliq) was conducted using the 2001 Youd and Idriss formulation and the values of the standard penetration test (SPT) applied in granular materials (sands). In addition, the vulnerability index (Kg) proposed by Nakamura in 1989 was analyzed through the HVSR records related to the ground shear strain (GSS). The results obtained in the HVSR analysis indicate the presence of a zone of about 100 m length in the central part of the foot of the dam, whose GSS values identified a condition of susceptibility to liquefaction. In the same area, the SPT essays analysis in the P-8A drill hole also shows a potential susceptibility to liquefaction in earthquake conditions greater than a moment magnitude (Mw) of 4.5. That seismic event could occur in the area, for example, with a new activity condition of the nearby Cayambe volcano or even from an earthquake from the vicinity of the fractured zone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Geohazard Prevention)
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23 pages, 2619 KiB  
Article
Prediction of Soil Liquefaction Triggering Using Rule-Based Interpretable Machine Learning
by Emerzon Torres and Jonathan Dungca
Geosciences 2024, 14(6), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences14060156 - 6 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2339
Abstract
Seismic events remain a significant threat, causing loss of life and extensive damage in vulnerable regions. Soil liquefaction, a complex phenomenon where soil particles lose confinement, poses a substantial risk. The existing conventional simplified procedures, and some current machine learning techniques, for liquefaction [...] Read more.
Seismic events remain a significant threat, causing loss of life and extensive damage in vulnerable regions. Soil liquefaction, a complex phenomenon where soil particles lose confinement, poses a substantial risk. The existing conventional simplified procedures, and some current machine learning techniques, for liquefaction assessment reveal limitations and disadvantages. Utilizing the publicly available liquefaction case history database, this study aimed to produce a rule-based liquefaction triggering classification model using rough set-based machine learning, which is an interpretable machine learning tool. Following a series of procedures, a set of 32 rules in the form of IF-THEN statements were chosen as the best rule set. While some rules showed the expected outputs, there are several rules that presented attribute threshold values for triggering liquefaction. Rules that govern fine-grained soils emerged and challenged some of the common understandings of soil liquefaction. Additionally, this study also offered a clear flowchart for utilizing the rule-based model, demonstrated through practical examples using a borehole log. Results from the state-of-practice simplified procedures for liquefaction triggering align well with the proposed rule-based model. Recommendations for further evaluations of some rules and the expansion of the liquefaction database are warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Geohazard Prevention)
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Review

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41 pages, 10214 KiB  
Review
A Review of Parameters and Methods for Seismic Site Response
by A. S. M. Fahad Hossain, Ali Saeidi, Mohammad Salsabili, Miroslav Nastev, Juliana Ruiz Suescun and Zeinab Bayati
Geosciences 2025, 15(4), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15040128 - 1 Apr 2025
Viewed by 1341
Abstract
Prediction of the intensity of earthquake-induced motions at the ground surface attracts extensive attention from the geoscience community due to the significant threat it poses to humans and the built environment. Several factors are involved, including earthquake magnitude, epicentral distance, and local soil [...] Read more.
Prediction of the intensity of earthquake-induced motions at the ground surface attracts extensive attention from the geoscience community due to the significant threat it poses to humans and the built environment. Several factors are involved, including earthquake magnitude, epicentral distance, and local soil conditions. The local site effects, such as resonance amplification, topographic focusing, and basin-edge interactions, can significantly influence the amplitude–frequency content and duration of the incoming seismic waves. They are commonly predicted using site effect proxies or applying more sophisticated analytical and numerical models with advanced constitutive stress–strain relationships. The seismic excitation in numerical simulations consists of a set of input ground motions compatible with the seismo-tectonic settings at the studied location and the probability of exceedance of a specific level of ground shaking over a given period. These motions are applied at the base of the considered soil profiles, and their vertical propagation is simulated using linear and nonlinear approaches in time or frequency domains. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review of the major input parameters for site response analyses, evaluates the efficiency of site response proxies, and discusses the significance of accurate modeling approaches for predicting bedrock motion amplification. The important dynamic soil parameters include shear-wave velocity, shear modulus reduction, and damping ratio curves, along with the selection and scaling of earthquake ground motions, the evaluation of site effects through site response proxies, and experimental and numerical analysis, all of which are described in this article. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Geohazard Prevention)
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