In this episode, we talk with Ashly Cabas, Ph.D., M.ASCE, assistant professor at North Carolina State University, about the impact of local soil conditions on ground shaking during earthquakes, and the importance of understanding this for safer infrastructure design in earthquake engineering. Dr. Cabas also highlights the tools and technologies used in seismic hazard assessment and the role of geotechnical extreme event reconnaissance in advancing research and practice.



***The video version of this episode can be viewed here.***

Engineering Quotes:







Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Ashly:



How do local soil conditions impact ground shaking during earthquakes and why is understanding this vital for ensuring safer infrastructure?

What's the most unexpected discovery you've encountered in your research regarding how soils or rocks behave under repeated loading?

What tools or technologies do you find most effective for assessing seismic hazards, and what methods do you rely on?

How do ground motion characteristics relate to the performance of civil infrastructure during earthquakes?

How does studying extreme events in geotechnical engineering help us learn and improve, and what are we discovering from this research?

What collaborative efforts have you seen during disaster recovery, considering the diverse factors impacting people rebuilding their lives?

What recent earthquake engineering advancements excite you and how do they impact your research?

How do you integrate your research findings into the classroom, and how do you anticipate it impacting your students?

How did you get involved with the earthquake engineering and seismology community alliance in Latin America and the Caribbean?

What final advice would you give to engineers aiming to make an impact in earthquake engineering and beyond?



Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About How to Make a Difference in the Field of Earthquake Engineering:





Local soil conditions affect how much and how long the ground shakes during earthquakes. This is crucial for building safer infrastructure because it helps engineers understand the specific risks posed by different types of soil. By knowing these risks, engineers can design structures better equipped to withstand the shaking and reduce potential damage.

One surprising finding in seismic research is how ground motion intensity can vary depending on orientation. Understanding this relationship between orientation and ground motion properties is crucial for assessing seismic risks and improving infrastructure resilience.

To assess seismic hazards effectively, engineers use probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA), which combines data from various sources like nearby recordings and soil conditions. Supported by tools such as the USGS national seismic hazard model, PSHA provides a probabilistic understanding of ground motion intensity and helps identify critical factors for infrastructure resilience against earthquakes.

Ground motion characteristics directly affect how well civil infrastructure performs during earthquakes. Longer structures like bridges respond more to longer-period motion, while shorter, sturdier buildings resonate with higher frequencies. This understanding helps engineers design structures that can endure specific ground motions, ensuring better performance and resilience during seismic events.

Studying extreme events in geotechnical engineering, like reconnaissance missions, helps us learn and improve by offering insights beyond just data collection. We see how earthquakes affect communities differently, showing that social factors matter in engineering designs. Also, collaboration among experts from different fields during reconnaissance encourages a holistic problem-solving appr...