RECENT TRENDS IN GEOTECHNICAL EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

This key-note article gives an overview of recent developments within selected fields of geotechnical earthquake engineering that have recently enjoyed considerable attention and are anticipated to grow in the early years of the next millenium. The objective is not to present a state-of-the-art of these topics, but rather give a general perspective of the active research areas and to reflect on future needs. The subjects that are covered in this article are: ۱) site response and microzonation, ii) liquefaction and its engineering effect, iii) seismic earth pressure on walls, and iv) site characterization by surface waves. For each topic, a brief historical background is presented and selected engineering aspects of the problem are highlighted. These are followed by discussions of some of the recent as well as emerging trends within each field.