News of the Institute
EERI 2014 Technical Seminar Series Videos Now Available
EERI’s 2014 EERI Technical Seminar Series focusing on the state of the practice for Performance Based Seismic Design (PBD) of Tall Buildings was a great success, with more than 240 participants. Presentations are now available for purchase from the EERI Knowledge Center and Online Store.
For the last decade, engineers in major cities along the West Coast have taken advantage of performance based design concepts to achieve structural designs of tall buildings that are not in strict compliance with the International Building Code prescriptive provisions. The seminar speakers, all at the forefront of the evolution of performance based design procedures, presented their experiences and state-of-the art-practice in their individual areas of specialization.
Read a recap of the EERI 2014 Technical Seminar Series
Paul Somerville to Deliver 2015 Joyner Lecture
Engineering seismologist and geoscientist Paul Somerville (M. EERI, 1983), will deliver the 2015 William B. Joyner Lecture, “Geoscientists’ Capacity to Supply Engineers’ Demands for Seismic Hazard Inputs,” at the EERI Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, on Friday, April 3, 2015.
The William B. Joyner Lecture is awarded by the Seismological Society of America (SSA), in cooperation with EERI, to those who have provided outstanding earth science contributions to the theory and practice of earthquake engineering or outstanding earthquake engineering contributions to the direction and focus of earth science research—together with demonstrated skills of communication at the interface of earthquake science and earthquake engineering.
The lectures honor the distinguished career of William B. Joyner at the U.S. Geological Survey and his abiding commitment to continuing communication and education at the interface between research findings of earthquake science and the practical realities of earthquake engineering.
Paul Somerville is an engineering seismologist at AECOM in Los Angeles, CA, and the Chief Geoscientist at Risk Frontiers at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. He has applied physics-based modeling methods to understand the influence of earthquake source and seismic wave propagation effects on strong ground motion. These include source effects such as rupture directivity and wave propagation effects such as Moho reflections that can give rise to unexpectedly large ground motions, which he experienced “live” in the 1989 Loma Prieta, 1994 Northridge, and 1995 Kobe earthquakes.
Dr. Somerville has served on the Board of Directors for both the Seismological Society of America (SSA) and EERI, as manager of the Implementation Interface at the Southern California Earthquake Center, and is currently President of the Australian Earthquake Engineering Society. He has conducted seismic hazard analyses at sites of critical facilities in many parts of the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, New Zealand and Japan as well as the Americas. He has also been involved in the estimation of earthquake risk for insurers and government agencies in the Asia-Pacific region.
For more information about the Joyner Lecture Award, visit:
www.eeri.org/about-eeri/honors-awards/william-b-joyner-lecture-award/
2015 Annual Meeting Workshops - Register Now
As part of the 2015 EERI Annual Meeting, the EERI Student Leadership Council will host a Post-Earthquake Reconnaissance Workshop on Friday, April 3, 2015. Space is limited, so early registration is recommended.
Students participating in the Seismic Design Competition can register for the morning and afternoon session of the workshop through the SDC Registration page here:
https://eeri.org/cohost/registration/2015-sdc
Regular meeting participants can register for the afternoon session of the workshop when registering for the Annual Meeting here:
https://eeri.org/cohost/registration/eeri-2015-annual-meeting
The morning session of the workshop is targeted to students and will explain the role EERI plays in post-earthquake reconnaissance and invited speakers will present their experiences conducting post-earthquake reconnaissance. The afternoon session is targeted towards both students and professionals and will introduce reconnaissance data collection tools that can be used in earthquake reconnaissance and will include a field exercise that will give all attendees a chance to practice making post-earthquake observations as well as using the data collection tools. The workshop will also provide a basis for involvement by workshop attendees in future EERI reconnaissance activities after an earthquake in their area.
New Membership and Communications Manager
EERI welcomes Stephen LaBounty (M. EERI, 2014), as the new Membership and Communications Manager. LaBounty comes to EERI from the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) at the University of California, Berkeley. Before his time with PEER, he was the director of the Western Neighborhoods Project, a San Francisco history organization with an active membership. LaBounty can be contacted at stephen@eeri.org
EERI Endowment Donors
EERI thanks donors to the Endowment Fund and acknowledges their recent contributions. EERI’s Endowment supports innovative projects that assure the Institute’s continuing leadership in the earthquake engineering profession.
The list below reflects donations that the Institute received in January 2015.
|
$100-$250 |
Other Amounts |
Thank you for your support!
Membership Renewal Contest Winners
Congratulations to our $100 VISA gift card winners randomly drawn from those who renewed their EERI membership before December 31, 2014: Craig Davis (M. EERI, 1995), Leonardo Duenas-Osorio (M. EERI, 2001), and Gokhan Pekcan (M. EERI, 1998). If you haven’t gotten around to renewing your EERI membership, please do so now. Continue to receive the benefits of membership, including the upcoming issue of Earthquake Spectra, and reduced registration rates for the 2015 Annual Meeting.
Renew your membership today
Announcements
BSSC Colloquium on NEHRP Provisions
The National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host a BSSC Colloquium on “Seismic Design Technology for New Buildings—The 2015 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions,” February 11, 2015, at the Embassy Suites San Francisco Airport – Waterfront in Burlingame, California.
Attendees can earn 8.25 continuing education units (CEUs) while learning the latest about the soon-to-be-released National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) 2015 NEHRP Recommended Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures.
Colloquium and registration details.
Call for Abstracts: AEG Annual Meeting
The Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists will hold its 2015 Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 19-26, 2015. The deadline for abstract submissions is May 1, 2015. Symposia includes Dams, Tunneling, Landslides, Rock Slope Design, Shale Gas Development, and Urban Environmental Geology, with many more general technical session topics.
Read more about the meeting and details on abstract submissions.
Constantinou Honored
Professor Michael Constantinou of the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at the University at Buffalo, was one of the 11 faculty members from across the State University of New York (SUNY) system to be appointed to the highest faculty rank of Distinguished Professor in November 2014. Dr. Constantinou was recognized as one of the world’s leading scholars in the area of seismic protective systems, whose work has had a profound impact on earthquake engineering in the US and around the globe.
SUNY Press Release
Opportunities for Students
Liu Huixian Earthquake Engineering Scholarship Awards for Graduate Students
In honor of the late Professor Liu Huixian, who is considered to be the founder of earthquake engineering in China, the Huixian Earthquake Engineering Foundation (China) and the US-China Earthquake Engineering Foundation (USA) are pleased to announce that approximately ten (10) Liu Huixian Earthquake Engineering Scholarship Awards are available in 2015.
Applicants must be students pursuing a master's or doctor's degree in earthquake engineering or closely related fields, who are enrolled in universities and research institutes in China, the USA, and Singapore, or are enrolled in member-organizations of the Asian-Pacific Network of Centers for Earthquake Engineering Research (ANCER).
Application materials should be submitted in electronic version to the Secretariat of the Huixian Earthquake Engineering Foundation by June 30, 2015:
http://hxeef.iem.cn/ – Huixian Earthquake Engineering Foundation, and http://www.iem.ac.cn/ – Institute of Engineering Mechanics of China Earthquake Administration (IEM, CEA).
The Huixian Earthquake Engineering Foundation, China
President: Professor Qi Xiaozhai
The US-China Earthquake Engineering Foundation, USA
President: Professor George C. Lee (M. EERI, 1983)
Contact information:
Ning Xiaoquing
Tel.: +86-18745153617
Zhang Guixin
Secretariat of Huixian Earthquake Engineering Foundation
Tel.: +86-451-86652609
Add: 9 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150080, China
Fax: +86-451-86664755
E-mail: hxeef@iem.cn; hxeef@iem.ac.cn
Web: http://hxeef.iem.cn/
Liu Huixian Earthquake Engineering Scholarship Award Provisional Regulations (PDF)
Application Form for the Liu Huixian Earthquake Engineering Scholarship Award (Word document)
Professional Opportunities
Kinemetrics Seeks Project Engineer
Kinemetrics Inc., an EERI Gold-level Subscribing Member, is seeking a Project Engineer to join its Open Systems & Services (OSS) Department.
The Kinemetrics OSS department is a distinguished group of experts and specialists who design, build, install and service customized solutions for mission critical projects. Some project examples include: designing national seismic and strong-motion networks; and instrumentation of critical structures such as high-rise buildings, nuclear power plants, and historical structures. To learn more about Open Systems & Services, visit: www.kmioss.com .
The Project Engineer supports projects related to services for Strong-Motion, Nuclear Power Plant, and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems. The range of responsibilities includes preparing technical and commercial proposals; designing, integrating, testing, installing, maintaining and remotely operating systems at a solution level; training customers; and fostering relationships within earthquake engineering, nuclear and SHM communities.
Successful candidates will be based in the Kinemetrics headquarters in Pasadena, California and will work closely with the team of project managers, system engineers and integrators. To read the full job description (PDF) including requirements, benefits, and how to apply, visit: http://bit.ly/1H1oxfX.
Chapter Activities
EERI-NYNE & SEAoNY March Lecture
EERI-NYNE and Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY) will host a joint lecture on March 17, 2015. Dr. Shalva Marjanishvili, Technical Director of Hinman Consulting Engineering (HCE), will present the topic of "Mitigating Disasters in the 21st Century."
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York, NY
Date: March 17, 2015, 6:00 pm
Registration and credit for 1.5 PDH is $25 for EERI members who pre-register, and $35 at the door.
RSVP and read more at http://seaony.org/programs/event_details.php?id=272
Georgia Tech Year in Review
In 2014, the Georgia Institute of Technology's EERI Chapter introduced structural engineering to more than a hundred area school children, teaching about and demonstrating scientific inquiry, risk reduction, problem solving and troubleshooting in earthquake engineering research.
Read about all 2014 activities at the Georgia Tech EERI Chapter.
Nor-Cal Chapter Awards
On December 10, 2014, the Northern California Chapter of EERI presented its annual awards for "Leadership, Innovation, and Outstanding Accomplishments in Earthquake Risk Reduction." Recipients were Marjorie Greene (M. EERI, 1982), retiring Special Projects Manager for EERI, and the Private Schools Earthquake Safety Working Group from the Earthquake Safety Implementation Program of the City and County of San Francisco.
Read more about the event and the award recipients
Publications
Earthquake Spectra: Preprint Manuscripts
Nine additional preprint manuscripts have been posted on the Earthquake Spectra website prior to their formal publication. The papers to be published are listed below.
- "BC Hydro Ground Motion Prediction Equations For Subduction Earthquakes" by Norman Abrahamson (M. EERI, 1984), Nicholas Gregor (M. EERI, 1992), and Kofi Addo (M. EERI, 2009)
- "Responses of Two Tall Buildings in Tokyo, Japan, Before, During, and After the M9.0 Tohoku Earthquake of 11 March 2011" by Mehmet Çelebi (M. EERI, 1980), Yoshiaki Hisada, Roshanak Omrani (M. EERI, 1980), S. Farid Ghahari, and Ertugrul Taciroglu
- "Comparative Life Cycle Analysis of Conventional and Base Isolated Buildings" by Matthew Cutfield, Keri Ryan (M. EERI, 1999), and Quincy Ma (M. EERI, 2014)
- "Using Remote Sensing for Building Damage Assessment: The GEOCAN Study and Validation for the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake" by Roxane Foulser-Piggott (M. EERI, 2013), Robin Spence (M. EERI, 2000), Ron Eguchi (M. EERI, 1976), and Andrew King (M. EERI, 2013)
- "Turkey-Adjusted NGA-W1 Horizontal Ground Motion Prediction Models" by Zeynep Gülerce (M. EERI, 2005), Bahadır Kargıoğlu, and Norman A. Abrahamson (M. EERI, 1984)
- "Development of a Risk Framework for Forecasting Earthquake Losses in Port Systems" by Lindsay Ivey-Burden (M. EERI, 2014), Glenn Rix (M. EERI, 1990), and Stuart Werner, (M. EERI, 1974)
- "Characterization of Seismic Levee Fragility using Field Performance Data" by Dong Youp Kwak (M. EERI, 2014), Jonathan P. Stewart (M. EERI, 1994), Scott J. Brandenberg (M. EERI, 2001), and Atsushi Mikami (M. EERI, 2014)
- "Safe Enough? A Building Code to Protect Our Cities as Well as Our Lives" by Keith A. Porter, (M. EERI, 1998)
- Book Review: The Lost History of the New Madrid Earthquakes by Conevery Bolton Valencius. Reviewed by Alisa F. Stewart and Jonathan P. Stewart (M. EERI, 1994)
To read all current preprint manuscripts posted, visit Earthquake Spectra preprints.
Back to top >Member Spotlight
Welcome New EERI Members
EERI welcomes the members who have recently joined the Institute. If you wish to connect with your fellow members, you can locate their contact information in the EERI online membership directory which requires logging in to the Member Resources Area of the EERI website.
New Bronze Subscribing Member
We welcome Ringfeder Power Transmission Group, a new EERI Subscribing Member at the Bronze level. Ringfeder has a long tradition of excellence in shock absorbing and keyless connection technologies, locking assemblies, friction springs and their application technology. Ringfeder's goal is to support customers worldwide with quality products, superior technical know-how, and quick delivery service. For more information, visit http://www.ringfeder.com/
Regular Members
Thomas DiBlasi, DiBlasi Associates PC, Structural
Ronald H. Dunn, Dunn Associates Inc, Structural
Joseph Gray, Geotechnical
Tzong-Ying Hao, California State University Northridge, Civil
Najme Jalali, AECOM, Geotechnical
Yutaka Mamada, Nuclear Regulation Authority, Public Policy
Young Professional Members
Waleed El-Sekelly, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Geotechnical
Russell McLellan, Partner Engineering & Science Inc, Structural
Sahin Tasligedik, University of Canterbury, Structural
Joshua Zupan, HDR, Geotechnical
Student Members
Aykut Altindis, Cal Poly Pomona, Civil
Elizabeth Anderson, University of Michigan, Civil
Juliana Andrews, University of California Irvine, Structural
Joann Atienza, UC Berkeley, Civil
Kiersten Bakke, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Structural
James Barrows, University of Connecticut, Civil
Rodrigo Betanzo, University of Illinois, Geotechnical
Patrick Burns, Oregon State University, Structural
Ana Carpea, Technical University of Cluj - Napoca, Civil
Tanya Carrazco, University of California San Diego, Structural
Eduardo Cerda, University of California Irvine, Civil
Payel Chatterjee, North Carolina State University, Civil
Ningxin Cheng, Rice University, Architect
Andrei Chis, Technical University of Cluj - Napoca, Civil
Andreea Coman, Technical University of Cluj - Napoca, Architect
Raul Correa, University of Puerto Rico, Civil
Sara Dabzadeh, University of California Irvine
Richard Darlington, McMaster University, Civil
Hai Do, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Structural
Tracy Donoghue, University of MA - Amherst, Civil
Elnaz Esmaeilzadeh-Seylabi, UCLA, Civil
Khalil Fair, USC, Civil
Iulia Fatan, Technical University of Cluj - Napoca, Civil
Nolan Fisher, San Jose State University, Structural
Connor Genta, Stanford University, Structural
Lia Goncalves, University of Connecticut, Social Science
Alexandru Greceniuc, Technical University of Cluj - Napoca, Architect
John Hamrang, University of California San Diego, Structural
David Hannaford, California State University Long Beach, Structural
Luis Herrera, University of California Irvine, Structural
Diego Hidalgo, University of Costa Rica, Risk Analysis
Baofeng Huang, Structural
Kendall Johnson, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Structural
Mohammad Khosravi, Virginia Tech, Geotechnical
Kelsey Lange, Stanford University, Architect
Anna Le, UCLA, Civil
Long Le, San Jose State University
Jiefei Li, McMaster University, Civil
Kasey Li, University of California San Diego, Structural
Wanzhou Ma, University of Illinois, Civil
Anthony Massari, California Institute of Technology, Structural
Crystal Mena, University of California Irvine, Civil
Morteza Mirshekari, University of New Hampshire, Geotechnical
Paul Musta, Technical University of Cluj - Napoca, Civil
Martin Ogwang, University of Connecticut, Structural
Thea O'Lari, University of Connecticut, Civil
Jeff Pang, University of Warwick, Structural
Ricardo Perez-Gracia, University of Puerto Rico, Structural
Stephen Perich, University of Connecticut, Structural
Amy Poehlitz, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Structural
Prakash Poudel, University of Houston, Civil
Navid Rahmani, McMaster University, Materials
Alina Rasa, Cal Poly Pomona, Civil
Blake Reeve, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Structural
Julian Riano, McMaster University, Civil
Norbert Sarkozi, Technical University of Cluj - Napoca, Civil
Jason Schmidt, University of Colorado, Civil
Phillip Serpa, California State University Long Beach, Civil
Emily Setoudeh, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Structural
Polat Shamyradov, University of California San Diego, Structural
Matthew Shayo, SUNY Buffalo, Civil
Shannon Stark, McMaster University, Civil
Alynn Sun, University of California San Diego, Structural
Satiya Taeidi, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Structural
Mircea Terec, Technical University of Cluj - Napoca, Civil
Alexandru Tiganescu, Technical University of Cluj - Napoca, Civil
Ming Kin Tse, UC Berkeley, Civil
Alyssa Twyman, University of California San Diego, Structural
Carlos Vega, North Carolina State University, Structural
Adrian Viegas, McMaster University, Civil
Miro Vujicevic, Stanford University
Luyue Zhang, USC, Civil
E-Affiliate Members
Derya Deniz, Civil
Boumediene Derras, Dr. Taher Moulay University, Seismologist