Geotechnical Assessment and Evaluation of the Impact of Kachchh (Bhuj) India 2001 Earthquake

Abstract

Intraplate earthquakes are ongoing activity in the Kachchh region. The area is seismically active and falls in Zone V of the seismic Zoning Map of India. The devastating Bhuj (Kachchh) Earthquake of MS 7.6 occurred in this zone on 26th January, 2001 causing severe damage to civil engineering structures and loss of human life. The surface manifestations of deformation of this earthquake include fractures/ fissures, lateral spread, slump, subsidence, upheaval, sand blows and craters. Bhuj Earthquake has caused considerable damage to earth dams lying in isoseist VIII and above in Kachchh. Damages to dams are in the form of longitudinal and transverse cracks, differential settlement, slumps/ slide, displacements and in some cases leakage. A review of the available geological, seismological and geotechnical data have been done to asses the impact of Bhuj Earthquake and subsequent seismic events in the area on ground deformation and engineering structures. Main cause of the ground deformation and damage is liquefaction of the soil under seismic shaking. Tectonic influence on the development of fissures/ cracks on the ground as well as on the earth dams has been observed

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