An unknown type of disastrous earthquake loadings in aseismic analysis and design of structures around world

Abstract

An earthquake suddenly releases a large to extremely large amount of kinetic energy in the Earth's crust and on ground surface within a few to two hundreds seconds, and generates seismic waves in rock crust and on the ground surface. So far, people have recognized and used only two types of seismic/earthquake loadings to buildings and structures. One is the co-seismic surface rupture as an extension of the active geological fault causing the earthquake. The other is the seismic wave generated by the faulting. This paper presents an unknown type of disastrous earthquake loadings that has been discovered by the author. It has not been recognized and used and prevented in aseismic analysis and design of structures around world. It is the loading of highly pressurized natural gas mass rapidly flowing from deep fault rocks to shallow ground and foundations of structures (Figure 1). The rapid expansion and migration of the highly compressed gas release the earthquake energy that suddenly released in the Earth's crust within a few seconds to a few tens seconds over a large area. The paper uses the many phenomena that have been observed before, during and after the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake to demonstrate this unknown type of disastrous earthquake loadings. Because of this gas loading, an earth quaking is NOT a heating up process BUT a cooling down process in faulted rocks and soils and atmosphere at the epicenter area. (http://civil.cqu.edu.cn/ids_strumo2016/content/?247.html)