189 ground motions from 3 551 recordings in the next generation attenuation (NGA) database are classified as pulse-like ground motions based on wavelet analysis; and all ground motions are rotated to orientations of the strongest observed pulse. Newmark method is used to calculate the permanent displacement of slopes induced by near-fault pulse-like ground motions; and the effects of velocity pulse-like characteristics on the slope permanent displacements are studied. The analyses indicate that the near-fault pulse-like ground motion has a significant effect on the damage of slopes
resulting in strong potential damage of permanent block and larger permanent displacement. It is shown that permanent displacement has a close relationship with the peak ground velocity; especially for the case of relatively large displacement. Two empirical predictive models for permanent displacements are developed by using the scalar intensity measure of peak ground velocity and vector intensity measures of peak ground velocity and peak ground acceleration. The scalar predictive model has small standard deviation when the permanent displacement is relatively large. The developed displacement predictive models can be used in probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for permanent displacement including the effects of near-fault pulse-like characteristics.