Physics of Destructive Earthquakes

This book is a concise introduction to the interactions between earthquakes and human-built structures (buildings, dams, bridges, power plants, pipelines and more). It focuses on the ways in which these interactions illustrate the application of basic physics principles and concepts, including inertia, force, shear, energy, acceleration, elasticity, friction and stability. It illustrates how conceptual and quantitative physics emerges in the day-to-day work of engineers, drawing from examples from regions and events which have experienced very violent earthquakes with massive loss of life and property.

The authors of this book, a physics educator, a math educator, and a geotechnical engineer have set off on what might be considered a mining expedition; searching for ways in which introductory physics topics and methods can be better connected with careers of interest to non-physics majors. They selected "destructive earthquakes" as a place to begin because they are interesting and because future engineers represent a significant portion of the non-physics majors in introductory physics courses. Avoiding the extremes of treating applied physics either as a purely hands-on, conceptual experience or as a lengthy capstone project for learners who have become masters; the application in this book can be scattered throughout a broader physics course or individual learning experience.

Frederick Thomas has a B.S. in Physics, a Ph.D. in Science Education and 30+ years of experience teaching physics, astronomy and math at the secondary school and introductory college levels. His experience includes 22 years in the Physics Department at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio and two years each in Ghana and Australia. He is currently President of Learning with Math Machines, Inc.

Robert Chaney is Professor of Mathematics at Sinclair Community College and has collaborated with Dr. Thomas for over 20 years in the development of curriculum materials and hardware and in providing in-service workshops for high school and college faculty. Prof. Chaney was named the 2013 U.S. Professor of the Year for Community Colleges by CASE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Richard Tseng, PhD, PE, specializes in soil dynamics, focusing on the study of the behavior of soil in relation to earthquake and liquefaction potential. He has performed soil studies for buildings, bridges, highways, airports, earth dams, and transmission and communications towers for over 40 years. These studies include the determination of site classifications used for seismic design considerations. He recently semi-retired as Chief Geotechnical Engineer with Bowser-Morner, Inc., Dayton, Ohio.