The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Overview

The FEMA guidelines presented in this course provide a basic framework for the earthquake design and evaluation of dams. The general philosophy and principles for each part of the framework are described in sufficient detail to achieve a reasonable degree of uniformity in application among the Federal agencies involved in the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and regulation of dams. The guidelines deal only with the general concepts and leave the decisions on specific criteria and procedures for accomplishing this work up to each agency. Because these guidelines generally reflect current practices, it will be necessary to make periodic revisions, additions, and deletions to incorporate state-of-the-practice earthquake engineering.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of twenty-five (25) questions at the end of this course to earn PDH credits.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained

This document contains general guidelines for specifying design earthquake loadings (for design or safety evaluation) and performing seismic analyses for the design of new dams (for evaluating the safety of existing dams or modifying existing dams).

The guidelines are presented in four parts:

  · Selection of design or safety evaluation earthquakes
  · Characterization of ground motions
  · Seismic analyses of the dams and foundations
  · Evaluation of structural adequacy for earthquake loading

Review of design earthquake and design procedures:

  · Operating Basis Earthquake (OBE)
  · Maximum Design Earthquake (MDE)
  · Maximum Credible Earthquake (MCE)
  · Deterministic Seismic Hazard Analysis (DSHA)
  · Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA)

Review of various Dynamic Procedures:

  · Linear-elastic modal superposition analysis method
  · Linear-elastic response spectrum methods
  · Non-linear time-history methods
  · Linear-elastic time-history methods

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee’s field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Online courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.