Seismic loading

{{main|Earthquake engineering}}

Seismic loading is one of the basic concepts of earthquake engineering which means application of an earthquake-generated agitation{{cite book|title= Reading and Interpreting Strong Motion Accelerograms|last=Hudson|first=Donald E.|year=1990|origyear=1979|series=Engineering monographs on earthquake criteria, structural design, and strong motion records|volume=1|publisher=Earthquake Engineering Research Institute|isbn=0-685-14388-0}} to a structure. It happens at contact surfaces of a structure either with the ground,[http://earthquake.geoengineer.org/ The Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering Portal] or with adjacent structures,[http://earthquake.geoengineer.org/ Seismic Pounding between Adjacent Building Structures] or with gravity waves from tsunami.

Seismic loading depends, primarily, on:

• Anticipated earthquake's parameters at the site – known as seismic hazard
• Geotechnical parameters of the site
• Structure's parameters
• Characteristics of the anticipated gravity waves from tsunami (if applicable).

Sometimes, seismic load exceeds ability of a structure to resist it without being broken, partially or completely Due to their mutual interaction, seismic loading and seismic performance of a structure are intimately related.{{cite book|last=Reitherman|first=Robert|title=Earthquakes and Engineers: An International History|year=2012|publisher=ASCE Press|location=Reston, VA|isbn=9780784410714|url=http://www.asce.org/Product.aspx?id=2147487208&productid=154097877}}