program overview
Several areas of North America are prone to high seismic activity.
While the greatest seismic risk is on the west coast, recent evidence
indicates significant risk in other parts of the continent. Research
has led to modern design methods that significantly reduce seismic risk
for new structures. Unfortunately, many structures which exist today
were constructed prior to these new methods being implemented and are
thus deficient. In order to reduce the seismic risk to an acceptable
level, many of these structures require extensive rehabilitation.
In response to strong demand from industry and government for advanced
training in earthquake engineering and research, programs leading to
cost-effective seismic design and retrofit methods, the Department of
Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia has established
a graduate program specializing in Earthquake Engineering. This program
has evolved from well established graduate programs in Structural Engineering
and Geotechnical Engineering.
MASc and PhD programs are available.
Research
The following list of current and recently completed research projects
gives an indication of the types of research being done:
- shake table studies of building models and components;
- field vibration measurements of existing bridges and buildings;
- seismic control by passive and semi-active dampers, and base isolation
of structures;
- pseudo-dynamic testing of large-scale concrete bridge bents;
- retrofit of concrete beam-column joints;
- seismic response of structures with steel plate or timber shear walls
and timber frames;
- decision analysis for seismic retrofit strategies;
- regional damage estimation due to earthquakes;
- development of software for seismic risk, structural stability, and
non-linear seismic response;
- reliability of structures with non-rigid connections;
- soil-pile and soil-structure interaction under seismic loading;
- seismic soil amplification and liquefaction effects;
- seismic analysis and retrofit of water and mine waste dams;
- seismic response analysis of soil structures, and characterization
of ground improvements; and,
- site characterization for liquefaction and residual strength.
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Facilities
A 10 ft x 10 ft (3 m x 3 m) shake table, with 4 degrees of digitally controlled
motion, is available in the Earthquake Engineering Research Facility (EERF)
to study the dynamic response of test models and components to simulated
earthquake motion. The table will be increased to 4 m x 4 m and 6 degrees
of freedom. The EERF also houses a larger linear shake table. The EERF
equipment also includes several digital systems for field vibration testing
of structures. Those include accelerometers, computer hardware, and in-house
developed computer software to analyze data in a very fast and reliable
manner.
The Department also has a 4840 sq. ft. (450 m2) high head-room Structures
Laboratory containing a 30 ft x 72 ft (9 m x 22 m) reaction floor which
can be used with various moveable reaction frames and hydraulic loading
systems for quasi-static testing of large-scale structural components.
Two small universal testing machines are also available. Two MTS servo-controlled
loading systems are available, with a range of jacks suitable for programmed
cyclic and fatigue testing. These systems can be used for quasi-static
earthquake testing of structural components. A computer-based data acquisition
system is available for on-line data reduction and analysis with links
to other computers.
The Geotechnical Laboratory includes various devices for dynamic soil
characterization (simple shear, hollow cylinder torsional, triaxial and
resonant column). The laboratory also has a Hydraulic Gradient Device,
which is similar in concept to a centrifuge, for modelling soil-structure
interaction at field stress levels. The department has a vehicle specially
equipped to perform in-situ soil tests for static and dynamic soil characterization
using the seismic piezocone penetrometer with resistivity module and self-boring
pressuremeter.
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