The Role of Analysis in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering

The history of dynamic analysis in geotechnical earthquake engineering is traced from 1952 to 2008. The role of dynamic analysis is illustrated by case histories from several areas of engineering practice. Attempts to validate methods of analysis by blind prediction trials based on data from element tests, centrifuge tests and from instrumented sites in the field subjected to earthquake excitation are described. The factors controlling the reliability of non-linear effective stress analysis are examined and guidelines are suggested for conducting defensible and reliable analyses in practice.