Newcastle University

Seismic Resistant Design

[ Book online ]

Designing structures to resist seismic loads is probably the most challenging area of structural engineering. Not only is the magnitude of the forces generated by an earthquake the largest that the building is likely to experience, but they are also much more destructive, unpredictable and difficult to characterise. For these reasons earthquakes cause tremendous damage to life and infrastructure even in countries that have modern construction codes and practices.

This course introduces delegates to seismicity and to the dynamics that are relevant to the design of buildings. It teaches delegates how to design and detail structures to resist earthquake forces and how to perform ground response analyses in order to predict ground surface motions for development of design response spectra. The structural systems for high-rise buildings and structural modelling of high-rise buildings are also covered.

This course will allow delegates to:

• develop skills in problem solving, with special emphasis on the design of earthquake resistant high-rise buildings
• develop an appreciation of efficient structural systems and structural layouts
• be able to analyse sophisticated structural systems such as those used in high-rise construction
• design buildings to resist extreme loadings such as earthquake loadings.

The course provides opportunities for:

• extending your knowledge in the design of advanced engineering structures
• assessing seismic loadings
• determining the site specific design response spectra
• performing the preliminary sizing of members
• idealising structures and performing computer analysis
• detailing seismic resistant structures
• presenting design documentation

Delegates will appreciate the interaction of design with finance, and the interaction of design and its interaction with construction.

Course Outline

Lectures, project based learning, example classes and design exercises will be used to cover the following areas:

Introduction to high-rise building design, financial considerations, influence of other consultants, structural systems for high-rise buildings, philosophy of earthquake resistant design, ductility and its implications, weak beam/strong column approach, response history analysis, ground response analysis, response spectrum methods, quasi static load approach, introduction to Eurocode 8 and earthquake loadings, serviceability and ultimate limit states for structures in seismic regions, structural engineering software, computer modelling of high-rise buildings, introduction to design and detailing of seismic resistant members and connections for reinforced concrete and steel structures.

Presenters

School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

• Introduction to Seismic Resistant Design:
  Dr Gaetano Elia
• Introduction to Seismic Resistant Design:
  Dr Sean Wilkinson (Course Leader)
• Seismic Resistant Design:
  Dr Gaetano Elia
• Seismic Resistant Design:
  Dr Sean Wilkinson (Course Leader)

[ Book online ]

[ Back to top of page ]