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Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering

The objective of this course is to familiarize students to geotechnical aspect of the earthquake engineering. Lectures will focus on describing methods developed for important geotechnical problems subject to dynamic loading.
February 1 to March 31, 2026 | Fees: $1,390
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Course Schedule

• Course Start Date: February 1, 2026

• Course End Date: March 31, 2026

• Live Q&A Session 1: February 14, 2026 1:00 pm CT

• Live Q&A Session 2: March 14, 2026 1:00 pm CT

• Exam Return Due: April 15, 2026 (only for participants seeking certificate)

• One year full access to the course materials from the course start date

Course Highlights

• Full access to 33 hours of lecture videos
• Full access to lecture notes
• Solved practical examples
• Lifetime membership of LinkedIn private computational geomechanics group
• Certificate and 33 PDH credits

Course Objective

This course has been designed to : Understand geotechnical earthquake hazard and mitigation, damage to structures, seismicity, and wave propagation. Develop an appropriate ground motion for use in design, including local site effects. Use sound concepts to determine the response of a soil deposit during/after earthquakes. Develop the skills required to provide engineering solutions to geotechnical earthquake problems. Become familiar with research topics in geotechnical earthquake engineering.

Course Outline

Section 1. Introduction, Seismology
Section 2. Vibratory Motions
Section 3. Dynamics of Vibratory Systems
Section 4. Strong Ground Motion
Section 5. Seismic Hazard Analysis
Section 6. Wave Propagarion
Section 7. Dynamic Soil Properties
Section 8. Ground Response Analysis
Section 9. Local Site Effects and Design Ground Motion
Section 10. Liquefaction
Section 11. Seismic Slope Stability
Section 12. Seismic Design of Retaining Walls
Section 13. Soil Improvement for Remidiation of Seismic Hazards

Instructor

 Siavash Zamiran, Ph.D., P.E.
Dr. Zamiran is a geotechnical and geomechanics engineer with over than 15 years of industry and academic experience in different geotechnical and petroleum engineering disciplines. Currently, Dr. Zamiran is a geotechnical/geomechanics consultant, founder and instructor at Mohr Academy, and Senior Lecturer at University of Houston. Dr. Zamiran is a member of ASCE Geo-Institute Computational Geotechnics Committee. He was the winner of national ASCE Edmund Friedman Award in 2019 and ASCE St. Louis Young Engineer Award in 2018. 

Contents

Course Introduction and Notes

Welcome to the Course!
Preview
Course Agreement
Course Format
Course Outline
Preview

Lecture Handouts

Section 1. Introduction, Seismology.pdf
Section 2. Vibratory Motions.pdf
Section 3.1. Dynamics of Vibratory Systems.pdf
Section 3.2. Dynamics of Vibratory Systems.pdf
Section 3.3. Dynamics of Vibratory Systems.pdf
Section 4.1. Strong Ground Motion.pdf
Section 4.2. Strong Ground Motion.pdf
Section 4.3. Strong Ground Motion.pdf
Section 5.1. Seismic Hazard Analysis.pdf
Section 5.2. Seismic Hazard Analysis.pdf
Section 5.3. Seismic Hazard Analysis.pdf
Section 6.1. Wave Propagarion.pdf
Section 6.2. Wave Propagarion.pdf
Section 7.1. Dynamic Soil Properties.pdf
Section 7.2. Dynamic Soil Properties.pdf
Section 7.3. Dynamic Soil Properties.pdf
Section 8.1. Ground Response Analysis.pdf
Section 8.2. Ground Response Analysis.pdf
Section 9.1. Local Site Effects and Design Ground Motion.pdf
Section 9.2. Local Site Effects and Design Ground Motion.pdf
Section 9.2. Addendum. Local Site Effects and Design Ground Motion.pdf
Section 10.1. Liquefaction.pdf
Section 10.2. Liquefaction.pdf
Section 11. Seismic Slope Stability.pdf
Section 12. Seismic Design of Retaining Walls.pdf

Homework Examples

Homework problems are provided as additional resources and examples for participants. In each section, participants get access to both problems and solutions of the homework. Participants are not required to submit and return the homework and they can consider the problems as self-study materials. 
HW1 Seismology, Vibratory Motions.pdf
HW2 Dynamics of Vibratory Systems.pdf
HW3 Strong Ground Motions.pdf
HW4 Seismic Hazard Analysis.pdf
HW5 Ground Response Analysis.pdf
HW6 Design Ground Motion.pdf
HW7 Liquefaction.pdf
Hollister Site.xlsx
Gilroy3 Site.xls

Section 1. Introduction, Seismology

This course has been designed to :
Understand geotechnical earthquake hazard and mitigation, damage to structures, seismicity, and wave propagation.
Develop an appropriate ground motion for use in design, including local site effects.
Use sound concepts to determine the response of a soil deposit during/after earthquakes.
Develop the skills required to provide engineering solutions to geotechnical earthquake problems.
Become familiar with research topics in geotechnical earthquake engineering.

Basic understanding of:
Seismic motion sources
Ground motion time histories
Response spectra
Wave propagation through soil and rock
Dynamic properties of soils & rocks
Ground response to strong shaking
Analysis of soil liquefaction
Seismic slope stability
Soil improvement to mitigate eartquakes
Section 1 Notes
Preview
Section 1 Introduction.mp4
Section 1 Seismology Part I.mp4
Section 1 Seismology Part II.mp4

Section 2. Vibratory Motions

Section 2 Notes
Preview
Section 2 Vibratory Motion Part I.mp4
Section 2 Vibratory Motion Part II.mp4

Section 3. Dynamics of Vibratory Systems

Section 3 Notes
Preview
Section 3 Dynamics Part I.mp4
Section 3 Dynamics Part II.mp4
Section 3 Dynamics Part III.mp4
Section 3 Dynamics Part IV.mp4
Section 3 Dynamics Part V.mp4
Section 3 Dynamics Part VI.mp4
Section 3 Numerical Modeling.mp4

Section 4. Strong Ground Motion

Section 4 Outline
Preview
Section 4 Ground Motion Part I.mp4
Section 4 Ground Motion Part II.mp4
Section 4 Ground Motion Part III.mp4
Section 4 Ground Motion Part IV.mp4
Section 4 Ground Motion Part V.mp4
Section 4 Ground Motion Part VI.mp4

Section 5. Seismic Hazard Analysis

Section 5 Outline
Preview
Section 5 Hazard Analysis Part I.mp4
Section 5 Hazard Analysis Part II.mp4
Section 5 Hazard Analysis Part III.mp4
Section 5 Hazard Analysis Part IV.mp4
Section 5 Hazard Analysis Part V.mp4
Section 5 Hazard Analysis Part VI.mp4

Section 6. Wave Propagarion

Section 6 Outline
Preview
Section 6 Wave Propogation Part I.mp4
Section 6 Wave Propogation Part II.mp4
Section 6 Wave Propogation Part III.mp4

Section 7. Dynamic Soil Properties

Section 7 Outline
Preview
Section 7 Soil Dynamics Part I.mp4
Section 7 Soil Dynamics Part II.mp4
Section 7 Soil Dynamics Part III.mp4

Section 8. Ground Response Analysis

Section 8 Outline
Preview
Section 8 Response Analysis Part I.mp4
Section 8 Response Analysis Part II.mp4

Section 9. Local Site Effects and Design Ground Motion

Section 9 Outline
Preview
Section 9 Design Motion Part I.mp4
Section 9 Design Motion Part II.mp4
Section 9 Design Motion Part III.mp4

Section 10. Liquefaction

Section 10 Outline
Preview
Section 10 Liquefaction Part I.mp4
Section 10 Liquefaction Part II.mp4
Section 10 Liquefaction Part III.mp4

Section 11. Seismic Slope Stability

Section 11 Outline
Preview
Section 11 Slope.mp4

Section 12. Seismic Design of Retaining Walls

Section 12 Outline
Preview
Section 12 Retaining Wall.mp4

Section 13. Soil Improvement for Remidiation of Seismic Hazards

Section 13. Soil Improvement for Mitigation of Seismic Hazards.pdf

Final Notes, Certificate, and Exam

Thank you again for taking Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering course. To receive the final exam, please email info@MohrAcademy.com. 

Upon completion of the final exam, the course certificate including 30 PDH credit hours will be awarded to participants.
Thank you for taking the course!
Final Exam
Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering Exam File.docx