An Introduction to the Seismic Design Aspect of the Recovery Process in Haiti, Following the Devastation Caused by a 7.0 Magnitude Earthquake on January 12, 2010

This thesis will serve as an introduction to the seismic design aspect of Haiti's recovery process following the devastation caused by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on January 12, 2010. The thesis is written for a non-specialist audience and should be used as a guide, since it provides basic information about seismology and earthquake engineering.;The introduction of this document explains the need for Haitian people to reach a better understanding of earthquakes and their effects on structures. The second chapter includes a study of several earthquake characteristics such as fault rupture and seismic waves. The third chapter provides a description of measuring and monitoring methods in the United States and around the world, and the fourth chapter provides an analysis of liquefaction-induced damages so that the reader understands how earthquakes can affect soils. Moreover, in order to learn from the past, a brief history of significant earthquakes that occurred in different countries and in Haiti is provided in Chapter 5, which is followed by a discussion of bad building practices in Haiti before January 12, 2010, and solutions to this problem. These solutions are a group of mitigation and prevention techniques that have been developed to protect structures against the devastating effects of earthquakes. Chapter 7 provides a description of the main aspects of structural and nonstructural seismic design, and this thesis concludes with some recommendations for the selection of earthquake-resistant structures and the seismic rehabilitation of structures.